t 54 ] 



Kght ; fo that we are conftrained to raifc our 

 lights in fuch objeds fomething above their ap- 

 pearance in nature, otherwife all would be flat -, 

 for as we cannot make the fhadows fo dark as 

 they appear in nature (lhadows in painting be- 

 ing expofed to a ftrong light) fo confequently 

 our lights muft be lighter than they appear in 

 nature, that there may be the fame proportion 

 between light and fhadow in piftures as there is 

 in natural objedbs; but an excefs of light ought to 

 be avoided, otherwife in painting a black obje6b, 

 we may give the beholder rather an idea of 

 grey. In painting objeds perfectly white, you 

 have not the advantage of railing your lights 

 above what your natural objedl prefents, fo that 

 in pidtures there cannot be fo great a diflference 

 between dark and light objefts, as in natural 

 bodies : this way of reafoning in relation to 

 painting might be carried to a great length. 

 I formerly imagined it pofTible, by the higheft 

 perfeétion in the art of painting, to deceive the 

 eye, by performing what might be taken for 

 nature -, but, fmce I hit on the above reafons, 

 I plainly difcover it to be impracticable. I 

 have obferved, that rude fcene paintings in 



theatres 



