DOI Heft:
No. 54 (September, 1897)
DOI Artikel:Schäfer, Henry Thomas: The colouring of the Venetians
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18389#0252
The Colouring of the Venetians
tint precisely as they wished it to remain, without the object; not softening for the sake of soften-
patching, or disturbing, or altering—so that whatever ing merely, but with the purpose of render-
tint or tone was produced upon the surface was not ing the delicacy and softness as observable in
a surface tone only, with something different under- nature.
neath, but was the real colour of the pigment Suppose now that the subject instead of being a
throughout. This method ensured to the colours simple portrait is a great group of figures, with
used their virgin purity and the greatest possible architecture and sky and other accessories. The
durability.* palette will be set on the same principle. For the
It will be observed that the limitation of the sky, ultramarine (or such other blue as may be
number of pigments used in any particular com- chosen) and white, the clouds black, and white, or
bination does not limit or restrict the varieties of yellow. For the draperies, each its one separate
effect that may be produced. Indeed, the use of colour, to be lightened with white, or the lights to
these simple combinations makes the contrast be- be wiped out; the deep shadows to be given with
tween the use of one pigment and another all the the full strength of the colour used and that colour
more marked—because the result is not confused alone. Yellow—with any yellow chosen accord-
by the blending of many tints. F"or instance, a ing to the requirements—sometimes to be shaded
very fair woman's face was sometimes painted with with burnt sienna. Green, and purple, and orange,
vermilion, white, and black ; a deeper complexion were used either in primitive pigments or the com-
with Venetian red, white, and black ; another with bination of two colours—but a third colour (ex-
Venetian red, white, and
raw umber ; and yet another
with burnt sienna, white,
and black : in each case a
different red, red lake (cor-
responding to our madder
lake) being used for the
lips.
The flesh tints were
exactly and carefully mixed;
painted very thinly, ten-
derly, and beautifully ; and
softened with dry soft
brushes (sables or very soft
hog hair)—always with a
distinct idea of rendering
the form and modelling of
* The pure white ground was
certainly used in all early work
until the later men (beginning
with Giorgione and Titian)
launched out in style and pos-
sibly experimented somewhat.
Titian sometimes, it would ap-
pear, "drew in" his subjects
with a red colour. Paul Vero-
nese, some say, used tempera as
a first painting, finishing with
oil, or possibly varnish. Tinto-
retto sometimes prepared dra-
peries with colours for final
glazing, &c. The Venetians no
doubt were not free from the
spirit of experimenting, and very
likely did occasionally work in
different ways ; but all these may
fairly be accepted as exceptions " OWL" SCREEN BY J. HERBERT MCNAIR
to the rule. [See "Some Glasgow Designers")
tint precisely as they wished it to remain, without the object; not softening for the sake of soften-
patching, or disturbing, or altering—so that whatever ing merely, but with the purpose of render-
tint or tone was produced upon the surface was not ing the delicacy and softness as observable in
a surface tone only, with something different under- nature.
neath, but was the real colour of the pigment Suppose now that the subject instead of being a
throughout. This method ensured to the colours simple portrait is a great group of figures, with
used their virgin purity and the greatest possible architecture and sky and other accessories. The
durability.* palette will be set on the same principle. For the
It will be observed that the limitation of the sky, ultramarine (or such other blue as may be
number of pigments used in any particular com- chosen) and white, the clouds black, and white, or
bination does not limit or restrict the varieties of yellow. For the draperies, each its one separate
effect that may be produced. Indeed, the use of colour, to be lightened with white, or the lights to
these simple combinations makes the contrast be- be wiped out; the deep shadows to be given with
tween the use of one pigment and another all the the full strength of the colour used and that colour
more marked—because the result is not confused alone. Yellow—with any yellow chosen accord-
by the blending of many tints. F"or instance, a ing to the requirements—sometimes to be shaded
very fair woman's face was sometimes painted with with burnt sienna. Green, and purple, and orange,
vermilion, white, and black ; a deeper complexion were used either in primitive pigments or the com-
with Venetian red, white, and black ; another with bination of two colours—but a third colour (ex-
Venetian red, white, and
raw umber ; and yet another
with burnt sienna, white,
and black : in each case a
different red, red lake (cor-
responding to our madder
lake) being used for the
lips.
The flesh tints were
exactly and carefully mixed;
painted very thinly, ten-
derly, and beautifully ; and
softened with dry soft
brushes (sables or very soft
hog hair)—always with a
distinct idea of rendering
the form and modelling of
* The pure white ground was
certainly used in all early work
until the later men (beginning
with Giorgione and Titian)
launched out in style and pos-
sibly experimented somewhat.
Titian sometimes, it would ap-
pear, "drew in" his subjects
with a red colour. Paul Vero-
nese, some say, used tempera as
a first painting, finishing with
oil, or possibly varnish. Tinto-
retto sometimes prepared dra-
peries with colours for final
glazing, &c. The Venetians no
doubt were not free from the
spirit of experimenting, and very
likely did occasionally work in
different ways ; but all these may
fairly be accepted as exceptions " OWL" SCREEN BY J. HERBERT MCNAIR
to the rule. [See "Some Glasgow Designers")