236 ''P AIN 
that which is necejfary for rendering the imitation juft and 
intelligible; and that which is expedient, or ornamental, 
as contributing to make the work at once more irnpreflive 
to the imagination, and more harmonious and delightful 
to the eye. Truth in the local tints is alone required in 
the firft kind ; the fecond demands choice in their felec- 
tion and diftribution. For illuftration, let us fuppofe 
the principal figure in a piece to be dreffed in fky-blue, 
and another figure near it, of lefs confequence in the 
ftory, to be reprefented in fcarlet, with an under-veftment 
of bright yellow; and let the light be made to ftrike 
equally on both : in fuch a cafe, it would be utterly im- 
pofiible to give an eft’eft agreeable or harmonious to the 
pitlure, although each of thefe objefts Ihould be painted 
v//ith the utmoflexaftnefs and truth; nay, the combina¬ 
tion, though found in nature itfelf, would excite feelings 
of difguft and averfion; whereas, if the principal figure 
were deeded in fcarlet and white draperies, and the figure 
next it in blue of not too light or bold a tint, the effedl 
would be harmonious and pleafing; and another point of 
great importance would be gained, as the eye would then 
be attracted by the principal figure, which could not 
have been the cafe in the former inftance, where the gaudy 
combinations of yellow' and red muft infallibly, as is na¬ 
tural with all warm colours, have firft obtruded itfelf into 
notice. However, as the eye has the fame intuitive ab¬ 
horrence of unharmoiiious combinations of colours that 
the ear has of difeordant founds, it is therefore not fur- 
prifing if we fo feldom meet with enormities like the one 
above fuppofed, even in the works of thofe artifts who 
leaft of all can lay claim to the fcientific arrangement of 
colours: to produce effefts not unharmonious or dis¬ 
agreeable, requires no great exertion of talent; but, to 
perform all that can be done by the molt fkilful applica¬ 
tion of the various powers of the art, is the lot of few. 
For the practice of the art of colouring, it is Very diffi¬ 
cult to give efficient rules. The principal objects which 
require attention, are, to let the preparatory colours be 
lighter and clearer (that is, rather more gay) than thofe 
with which it is intended to finifh, and to take care that 
the full form be made out with the under-colour, before 
any proceeding is made with the finifhing ones ; which 
ought not to bo difturbed in their hues; and to be em¬ 
ployed only to ftrengthen thofe prepared, and give light- 
nefs and delicacy of execution. It is alfo defirable that 
the colours be difturbed as little as poffible with the 
brufn; and not be too much blended, or foftened ; but 
rather laid on with touches, befide each other, as that 
tends to keep them pure, whilft too much fretting caufes 
them to become muddy, and to change in drying. The 
firft part of the procefs of a pidlure, after the artift has 
fixed in his own mind a full idea of his compofition in all 
its material parts, is, for him to draw corredtly the gene¬ 
ral forms, and then begin to paint in his chiaro-fcuro, 
with as fimple a fcale of colour as poffible ; and fully to 
fatisfy himfelf on that head before he proceeds with his 
pofitive colours. This is the readied: mode of avoiding 
confufion, and the neceffity of frequent repetition ; but 
there are almoft as many modes of procefs as there are 
painters; each varying in fome refpeft from the other, 
and every man’s pradlice, either by accident or principle, 
furnifliing him with varieties. Too great an adherence 
to fyftem, is certainly not favourable to advancement ; 
yet, without a fyftem, much time is neceffarily loft; and 
it feems molt reafonable, that every artift ffiould com¬ 
mence with one, however he may find it neceffary to vary 
from it in his progrefs. 
But, after all, the piflures of the belt colourifts are, it 
is univerfally allowed, the books in which a young painter 
muft chiefly look for the rules of colouring; that is, of 
that branch of painting which contributes fo much to 
exprefs the beauty of objedls, and is fo requifite to re- 
prefent them as what they really are. Giorgione and 
Titian feem to have difeovered circumftances in nature 
which others have entirely overlooked; and the la.fl in 
TING. 
particular has been happy enough to exprefs them with 
a pencil as delicate as his eye was quick and piercing. In 
his works we behold that fweetnefs of colouring which is 
produced by union, that beauty which is confident with 
truth ; and all the infenfible tranfmutations, all the foft 
tranfitions, in a word, all the pleafing modulations, of 
tints and colours. When a young painter has, by clofe 
application, acquired from Titian, whom he can never 
fufficiently dwell upon, that art which, of all painters, he 
has belt contrived to hide, he would do well to turn to 
Baffano and Paolo Veronefe, on account of the beauty, 
boldnefs, and elegance, of their touches. That richnefs, 
foftnefs, and freffinefs, of colouring, for which the Lom¬ 
bard fchool is fo juftly celebrated, may likevvife be of great 
fervice to him. Nor will he reap lefs benefit by ftudying 
the principles and practice of the Flemifh fchool ; which, 
chiefly by means of her varnifhes, has contrived to give 
a molt enchanting luftre and tranfparency to her colours. 
As foon, however, as a young painter hasdaid a proper 
foundation for good colouring, by ftudying the belt mat¬ 
ters, he fliould turn all his thoughts to truth and nature. 
And it would perhaps be well worth while to have, in the 
academies of painting, models for colouring as well as 
deligning ; that, as from the one the pupils learn to give 
their due proportion to the feveral members and mufcles, 
they may learn from the other to make their carnations 
rich and warm, and faithfully copy the different local 
hues which appear quite dii'tindt in the different parts of 
a fine body. To illuftrate ftill farther the ufe of fuch a 
model, let us fuppofe it placed in different lights; now 
in that of the fun, now in that of the fky, and now 
again in that of a lamp or candle ; one time placed in 
the fhade, and another in a reflected light. Hence the 
pupil may learn all the different effedts of the complexion, 
in different circumftances, whether the livid, the lucid, 
or tranfparent; and, above all, that variety of tints and 
half-tints, occafioned in the colour of the fkin by the epi¬ 
dermis having the bones immediately under it in fome 
places, and in others a greater or lefs number of blood- 
veffels or quantity of fat. An artift, who had long flu- 
died fuch a model, would run no rifle of degrading the 
beauties of nature by any particularity of llyle, or of 
giving into any prepofterous fulnefs and floridnefs of co¬ 
lour: he would not “ feed his figures with rofes,” as an 
ancient painter of Greece fhrewdly expreffed it, but with 
good beef; a difference which the learned eye of a modern 
writer could perceive between the colouring of Barocci 
and that of Titian. Webb's Dialogues. 
What ftatues are in defign, nature is in colouring; the 
fountain-head of that perfedlion to which every artift, 
ambitious to excel, fliould conftantly afpire ; and accord¬ 
ingly the Flemifh painters, in confequence of their aim¬ 
ing folely to copy nature, are in colouring as excellent as 
they are wont to be awkward in defigning. 
Amongft the Flemifh painters, Rubens undoubtedly 
holds the firft place; and his works, as fir Jofliua Rey¬ 
nolds obferves, “ have that peculiar property always at¬ 
tendant on genius, to attradl attention, and enforce ad¬ 
miration, in fpite of all their faults.” His colouring 
evinces that exuberance and boldnefs of genius, which 
in every other part of the art peculiarly charadterifes him. 
It poffeffes neither the fober richnefs of Titian nor the 
delicate harmony of Corregio; but feems frequently, by 
the gorgeous affemblage of tints, to vie with the gaiety 
of the chaplet or nofegay. It is perhaps, however, a 
matter worthy of in veftigation, whether the great variety 
of colours introduced by Rubens in the draperies and 
other parts of his pidlures, has not, by the too-great 
equality of their diftribution, upon fome occafions proved 
detrimental, rather than advantageous, to the richnefs 
and fplendour of effedl, which at ail times feems to have 
been his principal objedl; and whether that objedl: would 
not have been more effedtually attained, had he followed 
the pradlice of the early Venetians, in giving to two or 
three colours a more decided pre-eminence. The llyle 
