PAINTING. 
painters, not only to give the due appear- 
ance of roundness or projection to the ob- 
jects in their pictures, by proper lights and 
shadows ; but likewise to unite or contrast 
the masses of light and dark in such a man- 
ner as to give at once the most forcible im - 
pression to the imagination, and the most 
pleasing eflFect to the eye. 
Leonardo da A'inci was the first artist of 
modern times who treated the subject of 
chiaro-scuro scientifically ; but although he 
gave great force and softness to his pictures, 
yet the system which he recommended, 
and generally adopted, of relieving the dark 
side of his figures by a light back ground, 
and the light parts by a dark one, pre- 
vented that expansion and breadth of effect 
which Coregffio soon after discovered, could 
only be attained by a contrary mode of 
conduct, that of relieving one shadow by 
another still darker, and of uniting several 
light objects into one great mass. The 
figures, as well as the other objects in the 
pictures of Coreggio, are at all times so 
disposed as naturally to receive the light 
exactly in those parts when it is most 
wanted, and best suits the effect of the 
whole, and yet this is done so skilfully, 
that neither propriety nor grace of action 
seems in any respect to be sacrificed in the 
astonishing combination. 
The principal painters of the Venetian 
school, Giorgione, Titian, Bassan, Tintorit, 
and Paulo Veronese, were masters of ef- 
fect ; but with them this effect is more fre- 
quently the result of accordance or opposi- 
tion of the local colours of the different ob- 
jects composing their pictures, than of any 
very studied or skilful disposition of the 
masses of light and shadow. Rubens, the 
great genius of the Flemish school, united 
the wide expansive effect of Correggio, the 
richly contrasted tints of the Venetians, and 
• the force of Caravaggio, and has only left' 
us to regret that his magnificent and bold 
inventions were not designed with the pu- 
rity of Raffaele, or the correctness of Buo- 
uaroti, From the scanty introduction of 
light in the works of Rembrantwe might be 
led to su])pose that this surprizing artist 
considered the illumined parts of his pictures 
as gems, acquiring increased Ihstre from 
their rarity ; whilst the striking effects he has 
thereby produced, happily teaches us, how 
vain the attempt to limit or restrain by 
rules tlie workings of genius in the human 
mind. From an attentive study of the 
works of these great masters, the student 
will derive the true principles of chiaro-scuro, 
and be the better qualified to seize and 
avail himself of those transient, but beauti- 
ful effects, which nature, the great master 
of all, every day presents to his eyes. It 
remains for us to say a few words on co- 
louring. 
Colouring is the art of giving to evepy ob- 
ject in a picture its true and proper hue, as 
it appears under all the various circum- 
stances or combinations of light, middle- 
tint, and shadow ; and of so blending and 
contrasting the colours, as to make each 
appear with the greatest advantage and 
beauty, at the same time that it contributes 
to the richness, the brilliancy, and the har- 
mony of the whole. “ Should the most 
able master in design,” says Mr. Webbe, 
“ attempt, by that alone, a rose or grape, w e 
should have but a faint and imperfect 
image ; let him add to each its proper co- 
lours, we no longer doubt, we smell the 
rose, we touch the grape.” 
Colouring, like chiaro scuro, (and the 
same observation applies to the other parts 
of the art) may be divided into two kinds ; 
that which is necessary for rendering the 
imitation just and intelligible, and that 
which is expedient or ornamental, as con- 
tributing to render the work more impres- 
sive to the imagination, and more harmoni- 
ous and delightful to the eye. In the first 
kind truth in the local tints is alone required ; 
the second demands choice in their selection 
and distribution. 
The Bellini’s, of Venice, towards the 
close of the fifteenth century, first began to 
discover the beautiful effects resulting from 
a skilful combination, or opposition, of 
colours, at the same time that they attained 
a richness and truth in their local tints, far 
exceeding any thing hitherto practised. In 
both these qualities, however, they were 
soon far surpassed by their scholars, Gior- 
gione da Caste! Franco, and Titian, who, 
superadding to the most astonishing rich- 
ness of colour the powerful light and shade 
of da Vinci, produced works which, in their 
way, have baffled all future attempts at im- 
provement. The tone of colour of their 
pictures is not that of nature in her eveiy- 
day garb ; it is in some respects ideal, like 
the chiaro-scuro of Corregio and Rubens, 
or the design of Michael Angelo ; that which 
may be supposed, but which is seldom found 
in nature: the depth and mellowness of 
their tints seem the effect of a tranquil, but 
vigorous light, shining through the heated 
atmosphere of a summer’s evening. And 
here it may not be foreign to our purpose 
