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us away from the subject. A curved entrance into a picture 
is much more pleasing than a straight rectangular path of 
entrance. We have all felt the power of that sinuous, soft, 
light-suffused pathway as it has taken us through the charming 
foreground and middle distance right away into the distant 
haze, where, after admirably serving its purposs, it gracefully 
slipped out of sight. It is impossible to reduce the com- 
position of pictures to set rules ; it is rather the principles 
we must try to embrace. There is no better way of doing 
this than by cultivating the habit of closely and carefully 
observing nature — how she puts her various production 
into groups and repeats her beauty of outline. We always 
feel that her curves could be extended indefinitely. The 
study of nature’s curves suggests to our minds Infinity and it 
is the thoughts of Infinity that always arouse the highest 
and noblest feelings in the mind. Another means of education 
is the careful study of the works of the leading artists — 
such modern artists as Leader, McWhirter, Farquharson 
and Peter Graham. Success is not always to be got by 
closely following rules or even principles. in Millais’ picture, 
the “ Angelus,” we have two figures in the foreground, which, 
as regards position, lighting and interest, both claim equally 
our attention. Thus we have the violation of the principle 
of concentration and a feeling of divided interest ; but the 
dominating feature is religious devotion. 
Ths lighting and the atmosphere of pictures are also very 
important and Mr. Bellingham concluded an interesting 
lecture by hints on how these were to be best obtained and 
how one could now help out and emphasise some of the 
pictorial qualities in the negatives, he would not say by 
“ faking,” but by after treatment. 
