in its place with fo much exactness and tafte, that he needed not to mix his oppofing colours, and fo destroy what may be called the flower and freshness of them. He often loaded his lights with fo great a quantity of colour (to make the brightest reflection), that in some inftances he may be faid to model and not to paint. In his famous picture representing the virgin at the foot of the cross on Mount Calvary, the principal light darts upon her through a break of the clouds, while all the other figures ftand obfcured by fhade. In the refurrection of Lazarus there is introduced a long ftream of light on the principal objects. It is by this means that his compofitions appear fo ftrikingly divided into different groups. TINTORET, too, acquired great reputation, as well as briskness, with which he enlivened his figures, by his masterly manner of placing his lights and shadows. TINTORET, as well as Poussin, modelled their figures, and used to illumine them by a bright lamp or candle light, by which means they were able greatly to heighten their lights and fhadows. Among painters of our day none have carried this oppofition to higher perfection than Mr. RUSSEL, in his picture of Cupid prefenting the night-blowing Cereus to Hymen *. The torch This picture is painted for Dr. THORNTON'S New Illuftration of the Sexual Syftem of LINN AUS, and was in the last Exhibition. 5 R VOL. IV. and and altar of Hymen reflect warm light on the figures, whilst the back-ground scenery has the cold and blue light of the moon partly obfcured by clouds. This is alfo very finely exhibited in fome fublime paintings by PETHER. He has reprefented an irruption of Mount Vefuvius during a full moon, each mingling their different lights upon the heaven and on the waters. In another picture we have a village on fire with a moonlight scenery; and in a third, a moon-light with the warm emanation from a forge of a blacksmith's fhop. That these paintings owe much of their effect from the principle we are endeavouring to prove by a variety of arguments, we think no one can deny, and the principle itself is generally known and allowed by painters themselves. SECT. SECT. LXXXIX. OPPOSITION OF CHARACTER. OPPOSITION of character is the foul of historical painting, of poetry, and of the drama. From the school of Athens by RAPHAEL we shall select one out of the many excellent groups with which it abounds, to illustrate this obfervation. Four boys are attending on a mathematician, who, ftooping to the ground with his compasses in his hand, is giving them the demonstration of a theorem. One of the boys, recollecting within himself, keeps back, and his eyes are drawn off from his master in the profoundeft revery; another, by the brifkness of his attitude and immediate attention, difcovers a greater quickness of apprehenfion; while a third, who has already feized the conclufion, is endeavouring to turn master, and to drive it into a fourth, who ftands motionless, with a staring countenance, and has so much marked stupidity in his looks, as to fhew he will never be able to understand any thing about it. POUSSIN, in his famous picture of a fleeping Venus, has introduced a Satyr, which is intended to heighten the effect of contrast. 5 R 2 SECT. SECT. XC. DISCORD. 'TWAS when the feas were roaring with hollow blasts of wind; a damfel lay deploring, all on a rock reclin'd. Wide o'er the foaming billows the caft a wistful look ; her head was crown'd with willows that trembled o'er the brook. "Twelve months are gone and over, "Ceafe, cease, thou cruel ocean, "and let my lover rest: "Ah! what's thy troubled motion ❝ to that within my breast! "The merchant, robb'd of pleasure, "views tempefts in despair; "but what's the loss of treasure ❝ to lofing of my dear! "Should you fome coast be laid on, "where gold and di'monds grow, "you'd find a richer maiden, ❝but none that loves you so. "How "How can they say that nature "No eyes thefe rocks discover, All melancholy lying, thus wail'd fhe for her dear; when o'er the white wave stooping, then, like a lily, drooping, the bow'd her head, and died. The very strong emotions that this fong excites, arifes not only from the sweet harmony and fimplicity of the verfe, and delicacy of the fentiment, but alfo from the art of the composer of the mufic in contrafting the parts: the first being in three fharps, and the following recitative in a minor key, full of the finest melody, with feveral contrafting notes of difcord. The very powerful effect of the Allegro and II Penferofo of MILTON depends upon contrast, and fome fublime paffages in HANDEL'S Meffiah arifes from difcords, as also from some sudden bursts of harmony in the chorus, preceded by a single voice. SECT. |