No. XI. EXTRACTS FROM THE TRANSLATION OF [Murray, 1840.] "THE translator, aware of the opposition which the theoretical views of Goethe have met with, intended at first to make a selection of such of the experiments as seemed more directly applicable to the theory and practice of painting. Finding, however, that the alterations which this would have involved, would have been incompatible with a clear and connected view of the author's statements, he preferred giving the theory itself entire; reflecting, at the same time, that some scientific readers might be curious to hear the author speak for himself even on the points at issue. "Had Goethe contented himself with merely detailing his experiments and showing their application to the laws of chromatic harmony, leaving it to others to reconcile them as they could with the pre-established system, he would have enjoyed the credit he deserved for the accuracy and utility of his investigations. As it was, the uncompromising expression of his convictions only exposed him to the resentment or silent neglect of a great portion of the scientific world, so that for a time. he could not even obtain a fair hearing for the less objectionable or rather highly valuable communications contained in his book." "In carefully abstaining from any comparison between the Newtonian theory and that of Goethe, the author may still be permitted to advocate the clearness and fulness of Goethe's experiments. The German philosopher constantly bears in mind, and sometimes ably elucidates, the phenomena of contrast and gradation, two principles which may be said to make up the artist's world, and to constitute the chief elements of beauty.' "One of the most interesting features of Goethe's theory, though it cannot be a recommendation of it in a scientific point of view, is, that it contains, undoubtedly with great improvements, the general doctrine of the ancients, and of the Italians at the revival of letters. The translator has endeavoured, in some notes, to point out the connection between this theory and the practice of the Italian painters." The translator's observations inserted in the appendix "are chiefly confined to such of the author's opinions and conclusions as have direct reference to the arts; they seldom interfere with the scientific propositions even where these have been considered most vulnerable." NOTE C. Almost every treatise on the harmonious combination of colours contains the diagram of the chromatic circle more or less elaborately constructed. These diagrams, if intended to exhibit the contrasts produced by the action and re-action of the retina, have one common defect. The opposite coloursred and green; yellow and purple; blue and orange -are made equal in intensity; whereas the complemental colour pictured on the retina is always less vivid, and always darker or lighter than the original colour. This variety undoubtedly accords more with harmonious effects in painting. The opposition of two pure hues of equal intensity, differing only in the abstract quality of colour, would immediately be pronounced crude and inharmonious. It would not, however, be strictly correct to say that such a contrast is too violent; on the contrary, it appears that the contrast is not carried far enough, for, though differing in colour, the two hues may be exactly similar in purity and intensity. Complete contrast, on the other hand, supposes dissimilarity in all respects. In addition to the mere difference of hue, the eye, it seems, requires difference in the lightness or darkness of the hue. The spectrum of a colour relieved as a dark on a light ground, is a light colour on a dark ground, and vice versa. Thus, if we look at a bright red wafer on the whitest surface, the complemental image will be still lighter than the white surface; if the same wafer be placed on a black surface, the complemental image will be still darker. The colour of both these spectra may be called greenish, but it is evident that a colour must be scarcely appreciable as such, if it is lighter than white and darker than black. It is, however, to be remarked, that the white surface round the light greenish image seems tinged with a reddish hue, and the black surface round the dark image becomes slightly illuminated with the same colour, thus in both cases assisting to render the image apparent (58). The difficulty or impossibility of describing degrees of colour in words, has also had a tendency to mislead, by conveying the idea of more positive hues than the physiological contrast warrants. Thus, supposing scarlet to be relieved as a dark, the complemental colour is so light in degree and so faint in colour, that it might be called a pearlgrey; whereas the theorists, looking at the quality of colour abstractedly, would call it a green-blue, and the diagram would falsely present such a hue equal in intensity to scarlet, or as nearly equal as possible. That vivid colour demands the comparative absence of colour, either on a lighter or darker scale, as its contrast, may be inferred again from the fact that bright colourless objects produce strongly coloured spectra. In darkness, the spectrum which is first white, or nearly white, is followed by red in light, the spectrum which is first black, is followed by green (39-44). All colour, as the author observes (259), is to be considered as half-light, inasmuch as it is in every case lighter than black and darker than white. The distinction between the differences of degree and the differences of kind is important, since a just application of contrast in colour may be counteracted by an undue difference in lightness or darkness. The mere contrast of colour is happily employed in some of Guido's lighter pictures, but if intense darks had been opposed to his delicate carnations, their comparative whiteness would have been unpleasantly apparent. On the other hand, the flesh-colour in Giorgione, Sebastian del Piombo (his best imitator), and Titian, was sometimes so extremely glowing* * "Ardito veramente alquanto, sanguigno, e quasi fiammeggiante." Zanetti della Pittura Veneziana, Ven. 1771. p. 90. |