DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1183#0170
26 PRACTICAL HINTS ON
corrupted by the introduction of this baneful colour, your tones will no
longer be warm and transparent, but heavy and leady. It is not the
same in the lights, they may be loaded with colour as much as you think
proper." Whoever examines the works of the great colourists, will
find this impasting of the lights, and keeping the shadows rich, juicy,
and transparent, was their universal practice. The original of this
subject, which is in the possession of the Duke of Wellington, has this
character, as indeed have all the works from Coreggio's own hand. Opie
in his lectures gives a clear definition of Coreggio's management of chiar-
oscuro, as follows:
" By classing his colours, and judiciously dividing them into few and
large masses of bright and obscure, gently rounding off his light, and
passing, by almost imperceptible degrees, through pellucid demi-tints and
warm reflexions, into broad, deep, and transparent shade; he artfully
connected the fiercest extremes of light and shadow, harmonized the most
intense opposition of colours, and combined the greatest possible effect
with the sweetest and softest repose imaginable.n
Plate VI. Pig. 1.
I have noticed in another place, that when the darks of the group are
brought off the light side of the background, greater firmness is obtained,
and more vivacity, which latter is the peculiar character of daylight.
Cuyp, by placing his figures in such a position as to throw long shadows
across the picture, gives a great appearance of sunshine. If the strong
corrupted by the introduction of this baneful colour, your tones will no
longer be warm and transparent, but heavy and leady. It is not the
same in the lights, they may be loaded with colour as much as you think
proper." Whoever examines the works of the great colourists, will
find this impasting of the lights, and keeping the shadows rich, juicy,
and transparent, was their universal practice. The original of this
subject, which is in the possession of the Duke of Wellington, has this
character, as indeed have all the works from Coreggio's own hand. Opie
in his lectures gives a clear definition of Coreggio's management of chiar-
oscuro, as follows:
" By classing his colours, and judiciously dividing them into few and
large masses of bright and obscure, gently rounding off his light, and
passing, by almost imperceptible degrees, through pellucid demi-tints and
warm reflexions, into broad, deep, and transparent shade; he artfully
connected the fiercest extremes of light and shadow, harmonized the most
intense opposition of colours, and combined the greatest possible effect
with the sweetest and softest repose imaginable.n
Plate VI. Pig. 1.
I have noticed in another place, that when the darks of the group are
brought off the light side of the background, greater firmness is obtained,
and more vivacity, which latter is the peculiar character of daylight.
Cuyp, by placing his figures in such a position as to throw long shadows
across the picture, gives a great appearance of sunshine. If the strong