( 21.3 ) 
if feveral Men, cloathed in feveral very different and glaring Colours, be placed on a 
diftant Mountain’s Edge, juft within the utmoft Reach of the Eye, we may dif- 
cover thefe Men as Objeds diftind: from each other, but without any other Colour 
than what is caufed by feeing them through a great Space of greyifh Air ; fo that 
very diftant Objeds, may properly be faid, to have neither Light, Shadow nor 
Colour. Any common Obferver may perceive, when he commands an extenfxve 
Profped, where there are Ranges of diftant Hills one behind another, that the moft 
diftant are of a fiat, faint, bluifh Colour, without any lighter or darker Parts, and 
confeqiientjy without any diftind Objeds vifible on them ; therefore, if yon 
would make a Pidure appear like Nature, your greateft Diftances muft be faint. 
Thole Hills that lie a little nearer may fhew lome fmall Diftindion between 
Wood-Lands, and the bare Surface of the Ground ; on others ftill nearer we may 
diftinguifh Churches and Villages, till we come nearer ftill, where particular Houfes, 
Men and Cattle may be perceived, and fo on, till we fee diftindly every vifible Ob- 
jed about us. 
A Theory of this Sort is absolutely necefiary in every Painter who would imi- 
tate Nature in almoft any Refped. To run it over again ; from a near View to 
a diftant Place, let your firft, or neareft Objeds, have pure and bright Colours, 
according as the Nature of the Subjeds require. Thefe fhould be finifhed with great 
Lights and ftrong Shadows : Thofe at a little Diftance fhould be fomething°iefs 
bright in their Ground-Colours, not fo high in their Lights, or fo deep in their 
Shadows ; and as they are farther diftant, they fhould diminifh more in the Purity 
of Colour, as well as in Light and Shadow, till they have neither Light, Shadow, 
Colour, or diftind Form ; for all is confufed and mixed at very great Diftances. 
As one goes backwards in a Pidure, much Frnifhing is to be fpared; the Win- 
dows of a Houfe are not fuppofed to be vifible at fome Miles Diftance, 
though the Houfe in its general Form may be feen: As to little Ornaments in 
Drefs, they are always to be let alone, if a Figure be at any Diftance, for we 
know that the Buttons on a Man's Coat, or a Lady’s Trinkets, are invifible at a 
little Diftance. 
In fpeaking of Colours, I fhall not perplex the Reader, as the common Rooks 
on the Suhjed of Drawing, &c. have done; which tell you what to mix together 
for a Ship, Trees, the Earth, a Brick Houfe, Lyon, Fox, &c. for thefe Particulars 
are trifling and luperfluous. The Way to Colour well is, when we are provided with 
all necefiary Colours, to confult the natural Colours of the Objeds we would repre- 
fen t ; then by calling the Eye over the Colours we have ready prepared, it is very 
likely we may find fomething that in many Cafes will ferve our Turn, pure and un- 
mixed; but if we cannot, let us conlider the Colours in a compound Senfe. We 
have an Objed, for Example, which is Purple; amongft our Colours we do not find 
that, but by mixing Red and Blue it is produced. Blue and Yellow, produce 
Green. Red and Yellow, make an Orange-Colour. Red, Blue and Yellow, make 
Browns and Cloth-Colours ol all Kinds, by varying the Quantities of each ; fo that 
Red, Blue and Yellow, by a Compound of fome two of them, produce the fine 
Colours, viz. Purple, Green, and Orange-Colour ; and the three primary Colours, 
Red, 
