161 



would be absolutely driven to despair; 

 and feel ready to renounce, not only his 

 art, but his eyesight. 



One of the most charming effects of 

 sunshine, is its giving to objects, not mere- 

 ly light, but that mellow golden hue so 

 beautiful in itself, and which, when dif- 

 fused, as in a fine evening, over the whole 

 landscape, creates that rich union and 

 harmony, so enchanting in nature and 

 in Claude : in any scene, whether real or 

 painted, where such harmony prevails, the 

 least discordancy in colour would disturb 

 the eye; but if we suppose a single object 

 of a glaring white to be introduced, the 

 whole attention, in spite of all our efforts 

 to the contrary, will be drawn to that one 

 point; if many such objects be scattered 

 &bout, the eye will be distracted among 

 them*. Again, (to consider it in another 



* From that analogy so often mentioned, it is usual to 

 say, that an object in a picture, or in nature, is out of 

 tune. The expression is perfectly just : iu music, one 

 such note will invincibly fix our attention upon it, and 

 several distract it; and in either case, it is impossible to 

 enjoy the harmony of the rest. There is, indeed one essential 



VOL. I, M 



