DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.75271#0049
( 39 )
Of EXPRESSION.
HATEVER the general character of the story is, the pidure
must discover it throughout, whether it be joyous, melancholy,
grave, terrible, &c. The nativity, resurre&ion, and ascension,
ought to have the general colouring, the ornaments, back-ground,
and every thing in them riant, and joyous, and the contrary in a
crucifixion, interment, or pieta. [The Blessed Virgin with the
dead Christ.]
But a distin&ion must be made between grave, and melancholy,
as in the copy of a holy family which I have, and has been men-
tioned already; the colouring is brown, and solemn, but yet all
together, the picture has not a dismal air, but quite otherwise. I
have another holy family of Rubens, painted as his manner was, as
if the figures were in a sunny room: I have considered what effect
it would have had, if Rafaelle's colouring had been the same with
Ruben's on this occasion, and doubtless it would have been the
worse for it. There are certain sentiments of awe, and devotion,
which ought to be raised by the first sight of pictures of that subje&,
which that solemn colouring contributes very much to, but not the
more bright, though upon other occasions preferable.
I have seen a fine inslance of a colouring proper for melancholy
subje&s in a pieta of Van Dyck : that alone would make one not
only grave, but sad at first sight; and a coloured drawing that I
have of the Fall of Phaeton, after Giulio Romano, shews how much
this contributes to the expression. It is different from any colour-
ing that ever I saw, but so adapted to the subje&,# as to answer to
the great idea that every one that knows Giulio must have of him.
There are certain little circumstances that contribute to the ex-
pression. Such an effect the burning lamps have that are in the
F2 carton
Of EXPRESSION.
HATEVER the general character of the story is, the pidure
must discover it throughout, whether it be joyous, melancholy,
grave, terrible, &c. The nativity, resurre&ion, and ascension,
ought to have the general colouring, the ornaments, back-ground,
and every thing in them riant, and joyous, and the contrary in a
crucifixion, interment, or pieta. [The Blessed Virgin with the
dead Christ.]
But a distin&ion must be made between grave, and melancholy,
as in the copy of a holy family which I have, and has been men-
tioned already; the colouring is brown, and solemn, but yet all
together, the picture has not a dismal air, but quite otherwise. I
have another holy family of Rubens, painted as his manner was, as
if the figures were in a sunny room: I have considered what effect
it would have had, if Rafaelle's colouring had been the same with
Ruben's on this occasion, and doubtless it would have been the
worse for it. There are certain sentiments of awe, and devotion,
which ought to be raised by the first sight of pictures of that subje&,
which that solemn colouring contributes very much to, but not the
more bright, though upon other occasions preferable.
I have seen a fine inslance of a colouring proper for melancholy
subje&s in a pieta of Van Dyck : that alone would make one not
only grave, but sad at first sight; and a coloured drawing that I
have of the Fall of Phaeton, after Giulio Romano, shews how much
this contributes to the expression. It is different from any colour-
ing that ever I saw, but so adapted to the subje&,# as to answer to
the great idea that every one that knows Giulio must have of him.
There are certain little circumstances that contribute to the ex-
pression. Such an effect the burning lamps have that are in the
F2 carton