SECTION VI.

OF TRUTH OF VEGETATION.—CONCLUSION.

Chapter I.—Of Truth of Vegetation.

[§ 1.]Frequent occurrence of foliage in the works of the old masters.[384]
[§ 2.]Laws common to all forest trees. Their branches do not taper, but only divide.[385]
[§ 3.]Appearance of tapering caused by frequent buds.[385]
[§ 4.]And care of nature to conceal the parallelism.[386]
[§ 5.]The degree of tapering which may be represented as continuous.[386]
[§ 6.]The trees of Gaspar Poussin.[386]
[§ 7.]And of the Italian school generally, defy this law.[387]
[§ 8.]The truth, as it is given by J. D. Harding.[387]
[§ 9.]Boughs, in consequence of this law, must diminish where they divide. Those of the old masters often do not.[388]
[§ 10.]Boughs must multiply as they diminish. Those of the old masters do not.[389]
[§ 11.]Bough-drawing of Salvator.[390]
[§ 12.]All these errors especially shown in Claude's sketches, and concentrated in a work of G. Poussin's.[391]
[§ 13.]Impossibility of the angles of boughs being taken out of them by wind.[392]
[§ 14.]Bough-drawing of Titian.[392]
[§ 15.]Bough-drawing of Turner.[394]
[§ 16.]Leafage. Its variety and symmetry.[394]
[§ 17.]Perfect regularity of Poussin.[395]
[§ 18.]Exceeding intricacy of nature's foliage.[396]
[§ 19.]How contradicted by the tree-patterns of G. Poussin.[396]
[§ 20.]How followed by Creswick.[397]
[§ 21.]Perfect unity in nature's foliage.[398]
[§ 22.]Total want of it in Both and Hobbima.[398]
[§ 23.]How rendered by Turner.[399]
[§ 24.]The near leafage of Claude. His middle distances are good.[399]
[§ 25.]Universal termination of trees in symmetrical curves.[400]
[§ 26.]Altogether unobserved by the old masters. Always given by Turner.[401]
[§ 27.]Foliage painting on the Continent.[401]
[§ 28.]Foliage of J. D. Harding. Its deficiencies.[402]
[§ 29.]His brilliancy of execution too manifest.[403]
[§ 30.]His bough-drawing, and choice of form.[404]
[§ 31.]Local color, how far expressible in black and white, and with what advantage.[404]
[§ 32.]Opposition between great manner and great knowledge.[406]
[§ 33.]Foliage of Cox, Fielding, and Cattermole.[406]
[§ 34.]Hunt and Creswick. Green, how to be rendered expressive of light, and offensive if otherwise.[407]
[§ 35.]Conclusion. Works of J. Linnel and S. Palmer.[407]

Chapter II.—General remarks respecting the Truth of Turner.

[§ 1.]No necessity of entering into discussion of architectural truth.[409]
[§ 2.]Extreme difficulty of illustrating or explaining the highest truth.[410]
[§ 3.]The positive rank of Turner is in no degree shown in the foregoing pages, but only his relative rank.[410]
[§ 4.]The exceeding refinement of his truth.[411]
[§ 5.]There is nothing in his works which can be enjoyed without knowledge.[411]
[§ 6.]And nothing which knowledge will not enable us to enjoy.[412]
[§ 7.]His former rank and progress.[412]
[§ 8.]Standing of his present works. Their mystery is the consequence of their fulness.[413]

Chapter III.—Conclusion.—Modern Art and Modern Criticism.

[§ 1.]The entire prominence hitherto given to the works of one artist caused only by our not being able to take cognizance of character.[414]
[§ 2.]The feelings of different artists are incapable of full comparison.[415]
[§ 3.]But the fidelity and truth of each are capable of real comparison.[415]
[§ 4.]Especially because they are equally manifested in the treatment of all subjects.[415]
[§ 5.]No man draws one thing well, if he can draw nothing else.[416]
[§ 6.]General conclusions to be derived from our past investigation.[417]
[§ 7.]Truth, a standard of all excellence.[417]
[§ 8.]Modern criticism. Changefulness of public taste.[418]
[§ 9.]Yet associated with a certain degree of judgment.[418]
[§ 10.]Duty of the press.[418]
[§ 11.]Qualifications necessary for discharging it.[418]
[§ 12.]General incapability of modern critics.[419]
[§ 13.]And inconsistency with themselves.[419]
[§ 14.]How the press may really advance the cause of art.[420]
[§ 15.]Morbid fondness at the present day for unfinished works.[420]
[§ 16.]By which the public defraud themselves.[421]
[§ 17.]And in pandering to which, artists ruin themselves.[421]
[§ 18.]Necessity of finishing works of art perfectly.[421]
[§ 19.]Sketches not sufficiently encouraged.[422]
[§ 20.]Brilliancy of execution or efforts at invention not to be tolerated in young artists.[422]
[§ 21.]The duty and after privileges of all students.[423]
[§ 22.]Necessity among our greater artists of more singleness of aim.[423]
[§ 23.]What should be their general aim.[425]
[§ 24.]Duty of the press with respect to the works of Turner.[427]