DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES.
After what has been said already, a lengthened description of the plates would be unnecessary.
[Plate 1].—Has been described in reference to the article on Composition; as [Plates 2] and [3] have, in the one on Light and Shade.
[Plate 4.]—The Porch of Chartres Cathedral, has been referred to under the inquiry into accidental Shadows.
[Plate 5.]—The Temple of Jupiter Tonans, and the Forum of Nerva, have been noticed in like manner: as has likewise [Plate 6], an ancient Wine-store in the Rhætian Alps.
[Plate 7.]—Here are the extremes of hot and cold. The strongest colours are placed in the darks, from which they derive all the power of the palette, while the point is preserved by the figure in red. A warm light, surrounded by warm tints, has the greatest brilliancy when ably supported by the intervention of a cold one. The cool grey centre is repeated in the hollow of the door, the lower part of the figure, and carried out by the blue of the sky; while the warm colours are dispersed and diffused on the wooden gallery, the walls, the ground, and gathered up by the rich red of the woman's gown and the warm brown of the figure behind; the dark colour of which, being laid on the dark background, helps the woman into her forward position;—the warm colour, projected by the red gown, is again carried up by the cap and brown of the figure behind into the balcony, tiles, &c., until, after mingling in every possible way with the cool greys, it escapes by the walls; spreading its influence every where, and investing the greens of the vine and the foreground with its character. The high light on the wall is repeated on the linen, carried across by the figure in the gallery, and brought down by the figure and flowers in the foreground. The general tone of the work is warm;—the blues, greys and greens are used as a foil to give value to the warm colours, the shadows and middle tints: the greys are glazed warm, to preserve the richness of the general effect throughout. The reds and blues are combined of colours possessing the properties of each. The quantity of warm and cold colours are to be principally observed—the union of one part with another—preservation of the breadth, and the general harmony.
[Plate 8.]—A View in Belgium.—The disturbed and heavy clouds sweeping across the country are kept of a low, subdued, but warm grey; intersecting the distant trees, and invading the middle space, until it is found among the greens of the foliage and grass of the foreground; the stones, the chalky road, &c., ending in the darks of the figures. The warm lights are scattered over the tops of the trees and sunny browns of the middle space and foreground, repeated in the lower part of the sky, and brought forward in the foliage and grass on the left; while the reds are gathered up in the branches and stems of the trees, and brought to a point in the figure on the right:—the white of the chalky road is carried into their trunks, the rock, and up into the clouds by the birds. The breadth is divided into two wedge-shaped forms, carried at an angle across the work, and up into the bank and trees on the left; opposed by the long stretching line of the horizon and round forms of the clouds and foliage,—balanced by the mass of rock on the other side. The harsh opposition of the cutting-lines of the foreground serves to attract the eye, while it reposes the distance.
[Plate 9.]—In this example, the darkest dark being of a warm brown, is brought up, by contrast, against the half dark in the distance, which is of a cold grey: it is then carried up into the dark markings of the houses, the roofs at the sides, and repeated on the right; brought down by the scaffolding over the steps, and woven throughout into the cool greys of the half shade, occupying nearly two-thirds of the subject, and carried, by the reflections of the boats, into the grey of the water and the blue of the sky;—the density of the barge, deepened by positive colour, clearing up all the half tints. The highest light, near the centre, is gradated along the distant buildings, and repeated in the warm red and yellow lights, catching at different intervals on the houses, until lost in the water.
[Plate 10.]—St. James's Park and the Horse Guards.—This view was taken from the side of the Column, looking from the steps towards the Treasury. The two great masses, thrown at the boldest angle across the picture, the opposing lines broken up and varied by the round forms of the trees, and cutting it nearly in half, are divided between the bustle of the middle distance and the repose of the sky, the steps, the terraces, and the base of the column;—the colours employed in one division are made to invade the province of the other, until all are placed by the bright red of the soldier's dress and darker markings of the figures in the foreground, repeated here and there as uniting links, and carried through by the figures in the distance; while the communicating principle is sustained between the reds, blues and yellows, by the colour of the sky and distant buildings being composed of all three.
[Plate 11.]—Mills on a Sea Coast.—The large and varied portion of shadow, principally thrown into the wild uproar of the scudding clouds, is gathered together, and focussed by the strong and positive colour in the mill on the left, the stranded vessel, the horizon, the figures and dark markings in the foreground; and brought gradually down by the half shade into the cliff, the cottage, and the principal mill; and again carried up, by the agency of its primitive cause, to the highest parts of the clouds. The highest light is gathered up on the wall of the cottage, repeated in the accidental light on the retiring mill, the horizon, the figures on the sands, the birds in the air, &c., until it comes down to the chalky rocks and stones, mingling with the weedy greens of the foreground; the blues are carried down by the figures, and on which the reds are centred, and repeated in the unities of the tiles, collecting its force in the retiring mill, and insinuating itself into the distant figures, the sail and flag of the vessel, until lost in the warm colours of the clouds. The middle tints are kept much of the same strength to sustain the breadth, while the dark line of the horizon is graduated upwards and downwards for the same purpose. The shadow on the steps in the cliff is brought up against the light on the cottage to give it point; and the quantity of half shade that pervades the work is gathered up by the depths of the darks. This effect was observed at Cayeux, in Normandy.
[Plate 12.]—The Chancel of a Flemish Church.—In this instance a number of positive, harmonizing and opposing colours, are thrown together and collected in the middle space; diffused, and carried out, by the intimacy of the union of their attributes, in the figures, the altar, the banners, &c., forming a cone of colour surrounded and reposed by warm grey. The greys are lost and found among the browns, insinuating themselves into the recesses and tracery on the walls, and every where influencing the warm colours. The figures, in red and blue, are placed in the gallery to disturb the form of the cone: while the highest light of the window intersects the deepest dark, which is repeated in the hollow of the porch, cutting the arch at the side.
Plate 7
PL. VIII.
Plate 9
PL. X.
PL. XI.
HARRY WILLSON'S
GENERAL LANDSCAPE TINTS.
No. 1.—For foregrounds, and many parts of landscape; architecture; sands; roads, banks, lights of buildings (distant or near), shoal-water, corn-fields:—generally useful from its low brownish hue.
No. 2.—For many of the above purposes; and, being deeper in tone, adapted for shadows to No. 1.
No. 3.—Darker parts of foregrounds, banks, broken earth, waves, bark, timber, rocks, coasts, &c., useful in buildings and architecture. May be beautifully and usefully varied with white.
No. 4.—Lights of mountains, rocks, trees, distant masses of foliage, figures and animals in light, autumnal tints in warm skies and sunsets;—applicable to most purposes of warm light, and to vary greens with.
No. 5.—For almost every part of landscape or buildings; rich lights of earth in sunshine; interiors, drapery;—applicable to numerous purposes, near or distant, and to mix with and vary other colours.
No. 6.—For skies in cloudy weather, and shadows of clouds;—various pearly greys are produced by its mixture with blues and lake. Mixed with burnt sienna, it produces different degrees of warm browns.
No. 7.—For shadows to mountains, distant clumps of foliage, drapery, &c., for mixing with general shadows: renders many beautiful tints by blending it with lakes blues and browns, especially with burnt sienna.
No. 8.—Used alone, in rocks, bark of trees, and many useful purposes; assumes a variety of browns when mixed with burnt sienna; and different greys, when added to the blues.
No. 9.—Useful in clouds, warm shadows, earth, mould;—mixed with cobalt, makes a good tint to vary other greys.
No. 10.—For skies in fine weather, and to vary shadows of distant hills, and otherwise useful in subduing retiring parts of drawings.