DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19950#0025
ATMOSPHERE. 25
Nature, we are not to suppose that all effects we may
witness are worth preserving. Something more than the
mere common look of Nature is necessary to call forth
admiration—a knowledge of Nature in her happiest mo-
ments ; either when the combinations of colour and atmos-
phere are in most perfect harmony, or, on the other hand,
when by a powerful opposition the same scene acquires a
greater interest and increased splendour from the broad
masses of warm and cool colour.
Besides this, as we cannot by means of paper or any
artificial medium rival the brightness of light, and as there-
fore by following the true gradation of the colours we see
we should sink into blackness in the shadows, we are com-
pelled to adopt a certain artificial scale of colouring, and
introduce arbitrary methods by which to force the effect
which we cannot imitate in its true gradation; and we thus
obtain brightness by using more positive colours than the
tints we see in Nature. Thus distance will on this principle
be represented by blue, a church tower by dark grey, dark
mountains by purple, and so on, as may be suggested by
the subject, instead of adhering strictly to the more modest
and sombre hues of Nature.
If this licence be objected to on the score of departure
from truth, we must remember that Painting is an art, and
therefore recpiires some contrivance and ingenuity: that
could scarcely be called an art which requires no study,
no contrivance, no mental ingenuity to accomplish; and
it is fairly and legitimately the province of the Artist to call
in such aids as will enable him the more readily to execute
Nature, we are not to suppose that all effects we may
witness are worth preserving. Something more than the
mere common look of Nature is necessary to call forth
admiration—a knowledge of Nature in her happiest mo-
ments ; either when the combinations of colour and atmos-
phere are in most perfect harmony, or, on the other hand,
when by a powerful opposition the same scene acquires a
greater interest and increased splendour from the broad
masses of warm and cool colour.
Besides this, as we cannot by means of paper or any
artificial medium rival the brightness of light, and as there-
fore by following the true gradation of the colours we see
we should sink into blackness in the shadows, we are com-
pelled to adopt a certain artificial scale of colouring, and
introduce arbitrary methods by which to force the effect
which we cannot imitate in its true gradation; and we thus
obtain brightness by using more positive colours than the
tints we see in Nature. Thus distance will on this principle
be represented by blue, a church tower by dark grey, dark
mountains by purple, and so on, as may be suggested by
the subject, instead of adhering strictly to the more modest
and sombre hues of Nature.
If this licence be objected to on the score of departure
from truth, we must remember that Painting is an art, and
therefore recpiires some contrivance and ingenuity: that
could scarcely be called an art which requires no study,
no contrivance, no mental ingenuity to accomplish; and
it is fairly and legitimately the province of the Artist to call
in such aids as will enable him the more readily to execute