Now this reads very oddly after talking of rules of composition, for what is the good of a rule if it is not to be followed? and it reads very illogically when compared with the quotation from Reynolds (Brougham?), which goes to back up the excuse for advocating rules as Burnet gives them,—viz. “to those who imagine that such rules tend to fetter genius, &c.”
In short, the whole work is illogical, unscientific, and inartistic, and has not a leg to stand on. It is very specious to say that all compositions are made according to geometrical forms, for nothing can be easier than to take arbitrary points in a picture and draw geometrical figures joining them. The pyramid is a favourite geometrical form of composition. Now take any picture, and take any three points you like, and join them, and you have a pyramid, so does every composition contain a pyramid, as does a donkey’s ear. But enough of this. The student is distinctly warned against paying any serious attention to these rules; it is, however, as we have said, well that he should know of them, and we suspect he will learn something of design from merely looking carefully at the plates. Of tone he will learn nothing.
With Mr. Burnet’s remarks upon colour we are in no way concerned.
But the student will say, how, then, can composition be learned? Our answer to this is that composition, that is[is] selection, cannot be learned save by experience and practical work—there is no royal road to it, no shilling guide. This subtle and vital power must be acquired if we are to do any good work, for we are dumb until we do acquire it. We can no more express ourselves in art without having mastered composition, than a child can express himself in prose until he has learnt the art of writing. It is for this reason that we must learn art practically, for no written “rules or laws” can be given. Each picture is a problem in itself, and the art-master can help the student to solve the problems as they arise, in that way only can composition be learned. The proof of this is that young painters who have been through the schools are very weak in composition, it is only by continual failures that they acquire the necessary knowledge. Let the student trace the development of any painter’s work, and he will find that his early works are always poor in composition and feeble in motif.
CHAPTER III.
OUT-DOOR AND IN-DOOR WORK.
It is presumed the student has thoroughly mastered and applied all that has preceded this chapter, especially the matter of tone, otherwise it is no use attempting to make pictures, which means attempting composition.
Presuming then the student is master of the subject as already treated, we will now proceed to offer some suggestions on picture-making, but be it distinctly understood they are only suggestions.
We shall divide the subject into two sections, beginning with out-door work.
OUT-DOOR PORTRAITURE.
Out-door portraiture.