Howard, Frank: Colour, as a means of art: being an adaptation of the experience of professors to the practice of amateurs (London, 1838)

86 PRINCIPLES OF

the atmospheric influence, as well as the minute
gradations in form. But on the other hand, in
looking at a picture, we know it to be a flat
surface; and however far the imagination may
be willing or have a tendency to supply the
deficiencies in the representation, Association is
an antagonist and not an ally. This will become
evident upon making outlines of objects and
filling them up with flat tints: imagination
will not have power to make them appear to
be round, or to recede. The beauties of this
class of colouring are solely conventional.

Titian, Giorgione, and Sir Joshua Reynolds
lead the van of the Neri: Rubens, Vandyke,
and Lawrence are at the head of the Bianchi;
unless indeed, we should consider Turner as
general in chief of the latter. Claude was
probably of the Bianchi faction; but Time,
who is the great ally of the Neri, has made
him appear in some of his productions, an
adherent of that party.

It may be added, that most historical painters
lean to the Neri faction, on account of the
disadvantage arising from too close an approach
to the common appearance of every day nature
of which the effect is described in the proverb,