Three essays: on picturesque beauty; on picturesque travel; and on sketching landscape: to which is added a poem, on landscape painting. By William Gilpin, ...

NOTES ON THE FOREGOING POEM.

• Line 34 SOME perhaps may object to the word glimmering: but whoever has observed the playing lights, and colours, which often invest the summits of mountains, will not think the epithet improper.
• Line 45 What it's leading feature; that is, the par∣ticular character of the tree. The dif∣ferent shape of the leaves, and the dif∣ferent mode of spreading it's branches, give every tree, a distinct form, or character. At a little distance you easily distinguish the oak from the ash; and the ash from the beech. It is this general form, not any particular detail, which the artist is instructed to get by heart. The same remark holds with

• regard to other parts of nature. These general forms may be called the painter's alphabet. By these he learns to read her works; and also to make them intelli∣gible to others.
• Line 61 With light of curling foam contrasted. The progress of each wave is this. Beneath the frothy curl, when it rises between the eye, and the light, the colour is pale green, which brightens from the base towards the summit. When a wave subsides, the summit falling into the base, extends, and raises it; and the sides running off from the centre, that part of the water which meets the suc∣ceeding wave, springs upward from the shock; the top forms into foam, and rolling over falls down the side, which has been shocked; presenting if the water be much agitated, the idea of a cascade.
• Line 77 The evening-shadow less opaquely falls. It is not often observed by landscape-painters, tho it certainly deserves observation, that the morning-shadows are darker than those of the evening.
• Line 101 If the big thought seem more than art can paint. It is always a sign of genius to be dis∣satisfied with our own efforts; and to conceive more than we can express.
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• Line 146 Design presents the general subject, disposition, &c. Some writers on the art of painting have varied this division. But it seems most proper, I think, to give the se∣lection of the elements of landscape— the assembling of rocks, mountains, ca∣taracts, and other objects to design: while disposition is properly employed in the local arrangement of them.
• Line 149 The general composition of a landscape con∣sists of three parts—the foreground—the second ground—and the distance. No rule can be given for proportioning these parts to each other. There are ten thousand beautiful proportions; from which the eye of taste must select a good one. The foreground must always be considerable—in some cases, ample. It is the very basis, and foundation of the whole.—Nor is it a bad rule, I think, that some part of the foreground should be the highest part of the picture. In rocky, and mountainous views this is easy, and has generally a good effect. And sometimes even when a country is more level, a tree on the foreground, carried higher than the rest of the land∣scape, answers the end. At the same time in many species of landscape this

• rule cannot easily be adapted: nor is it by any means essential.
• Line 164 Waterlo, like thine. The subjects of this master seldom went beyond some little forest-view. He has etched a great num∣ber of prints in this stile of landscape; which for the beauty of the trees in par∣ticular, are much admired.
• Line 173 Landscapes, that knew no leading subject. There is not a rule in landscape-painting more neglected; or that ought more to be ob∣served, than what relates to a leading-subject. By the leading subject, we mean, what characterizes the scene. We often see a landscape, which comes under no denomination. Is it the scenery about a ruin? Is it a lake-scene? Is it a river-scene? No: but it is a jumble of all together. Some leading subject there∣fore is required in every landscape, which forms it's character; and to which the painter

  — is confined by rules, As fixed, and rigid as the tragic bard.

  when the landscape takes it's character from a ruin, or other object on the foreground, the distance introduced, is merely an ap∣pendage; and must plainly appear to be an under-part; not interfering with the

• subject of the piece. But most commonly the scene, or leading-subject of the pic∣ture, occupies the middle distance. In this case, the foreground becomes the appendage; and without any striking object to attract the eye, must plainly shew, that it is intended only to intro∣duce the leading-subject with more ad∣vantage.
• Line 190 Thus, in a forest-scene, the woods and lawns are the leading-subject. If the piece will admit it, a hill, or a lake, may be admit∣ted in remote distance: but they must be introduced, only as the episodes in a poem, to set off the main subject. They must not interfere with it; but be far removed.
• Line 197 And tho a glance. It is certain, in fact, that a considerable foreground, with a glance of distance, will make a better picture, than a wide distance, set off only with a meagre foreground: and yet I doubt whether an adequate reason can be given; unless it be founded on what hath already been advanced, that we consider the fore∣ground as the basis, and foundation of the whole picture. So that if it is not consi∣derable in all circumstances, and extensive in some, there seems a defect.
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• Line 280 A novel whole. The imaginary-view, formed on a judicious selection, and arrangement of the parts of nature, has a better chance of making a good picture, than a view taken in the whole from any natural scene. Not only the lines, and objects of the na∣tural scene rarely admit a happy composi∣tion; but the character of it is seldom throughout preserved. Whether it be su∣blime, or beautiful, there is generally some∣thing mixed with it of a nature unsuitable to it. All this the exhibition of fancy rec∣tifies, when in the hands of a master. Nor does he claim any thing, but what the poet, and he are equally allowed. Where is the story in real life, on which the poet can form either an epic, or a drama, unless heightened by his imagina∣tion? At the same time he must take care, that all his imaginary additions are founded in nature, or his work will dis∣gust. Such also must be the painter's care. But under this restriction, he cer∣tainly may bring together a more consistent whole, culled from the various parts of nature, than nature herself exhibits in any one scene.
• Line 314 Trace thy lines with pencil free. The master is discovered even in his chalk, or black-lead lines—so free, firm, and intelligent.

• We often admire these first, rude touches. The story of the two old masters will be remembred, who left cards of compli∣ments to each other, on which only the simple outline of a figure was drawn by one, and corrected by the other; but with such a superior elegance in each, that the signature of names could not have marked them more decisively.
• Line 318 First sketch a slight cartoon. It is the practice indeed of the generality of painters, when they have any great design to execute, to make a slight sketch, sometimes on paper, and sometimes on canvas. And these sketches are often greatly superior to the principal picture, which has been laboured, and finished with the exactest care. King William on horse-back at Hampton court, by sir Godfrey Kneller, is a striking example of this remark. The picture is highly finished; but is a tame, and unmasterly performance. At Houghton-hall I have seen the original sketch of this picture; which I should have valued, not only greatly beyond the picture itself, but beyond any thing I ever saw from the pencil of sir Godfrey.
• Line 331 One truth she gives, &c. From these three virgin colours, red, blue, and yellow, all the tints of nature are composed. Greens

• of various hues, are composed of blue, and yellow: orange, of red, and yellow: purple and violet, of red, and blue. The tints of the rainbow seem to be composed also of these colours. They lie in order thus: violet—red—orange—yellow—green —blue—violet—red: in which assortment we observe that orange comes between red, and yellow; that is, it is composed of those colours melting into each other. Green is in the same way composed of yellow and blue; and violet, or purple of blue, and red.—Nay even browns of all kinds may, in a degree, be effected by a mixture of these original colours: so may grey; and even a kind of black, tho not a perfect one.—As all pigments how∣ever are deficient, and cannot approach the rainbow colours, which are the purest we know, the painter must often, even in his splendid tints, call in different reds, blues, and yellows. Thus as vermilion, tho an excellent red on many occasions, cannot give the rosy, crimson hue, he must often call in lake. Nor will he find any yellow, or blue, that will answer every purpose. In the tribe of browns he will be still more at a loss; and must have recourse to different earths.—In oil-painting one of the finest earths is known,

• at the colour-shops, by the name of castle-earth, or Vandyke's-brown; as it is supposed to have been used by that master.
• Line 336 And is by her rejected. Scarce any natural object, but snow, is purely white. The chalk-cliff is generally in a degree disco∣loured. The petals of the snow-drop indeed, and of some other flowers, are purely white: but seldom any of the larger parts of nature.
• Line 358 Keep in view that harmony, &c. Tho it will be necessary to use other colours, besides yellow, red, and blue, this union should however still be kept in view, as the leading principle of harmony. A mix∣ture indeed of these three will produce nearly the colour you want: but the more colours are mixed, the muddier they grow. It will give more clearness therefore, and brightness to your colouring, to use simple pigments, of which there are great abun∣dance in the painter's dispensatory.
• Line 361 This mode of colouring is the most difficult to attain, as it is the most scientific. It includes a perfect knowledge of the effects of colours in all their various agreements, and oppositions. When attained, it is the most easy in practice. The artist, who blends his colours on his pallet, depends more on his eye, than on his

• knowledge. He works out his effect by a more laboured process; and yet he may produce a good picture in the end.
• Line 380 Nobody was better acquainted with the effects of sky, nor studied them with more at∣tention, than the younger Vanderveldt. Not many years ago, an old Thames-wa∣terman was alive, who remembred him well; and had often carried him out in his boat, both up and down the river, to study the appearances of the sky. The old man used to say, they went out in all kinds of weather, fair, and foul; and Mr. Vanderveldt took with him large sheets of blue paper, which he would mark all over with black, and white. The artist easily sees the intention of this process. These expeditions Vanderveldt called, in his Dutch manner of speaking, going a skoying.
• Line 401 The most remarkable instance of ingenious colouring I ever heard of, is in Guido's St. Michael. The whole picture is com∣posed of blue, red, and black; by means of which colours the ideas of heaven and hell are blended together in a very extra∣ordinary manner; and the effect exceed∣ingly sublime; while both harmony, and chasteness are preserved in the highest degree.
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• Line 406 Let shade predominate. As a general rule, the half-tints should have more extent than the lights; and the shadows should equal both put together.—Yet why a predo∣minancy of shade should please the eye more than a predominancy of light, would perhaps be difficult to explain. I can easily conceive, that a balance of light and shade may be founded in some kind of reason; but am at a loss to give a reason for a predominancy of either. The fact however is undoubted; and we must skreen our ignorance of the principle, as well as we can.
• Line 440 This rule respects an affected display of light. If it be introduced as a focus, so as not to fall naturally on the several objects it touches, it disgusts. Rembrandt, I doubt, is sometimes chargeable with this fault. He is commonly supposed to be a master of this part of painting; and we often see very beautiful lights in his pictures, and prints: but as in many of them we see the reverse, he appears to have had no fixed principle. Indeed, few parts of painting are so much neglected, so easily transgressed, and so little understood, as the distribution of light.
• Line 444 Opposition, and gradation are the two grand means of producing effect by light. In

• the picture just given (l. 424. &c.) of the evening-ray, the effect is produced by opposition. Beautiful effects too of the same kind arise often from catching lights. —The power of producing effect by gradation, is not less forcible. Indeed, without a degree of gradation, opposition itself would be mute. In the picture just given of the evening-ray, the grand part of the effect, no doubt, arises from the opposition between the gloom, and the light: but in part it arises also from the gradation of the light, till it reach it's point. It just tips

  The tufted groves; but all it's splendor pours On yonder castled cliff. —

• Line 447 The colours of animals often strongly illustrate the idea of gradation. When they soften into each other, from light to dark, or from one colour into another, the mixture is very picturesque. It is as much the reverse, when white and black, or white, and red, are patched over the animal in blotches, without any intermediate tints. Domestic cattle, cows, dogs, swine, goats, and cats, are often disagreeably patched: tho we sometimes see them pleasingly coloured with a graduating tint. Wild animals, in general, are more uniformly

• coloured, than tame. Except the zebra, and two or three of the spotted race, I recollect none which are not, more or less, tinted in this graduating manner. The tiger, the panther, and other varie∣gated animals have their beauty: but the zebra, I think, is rather a curious, than a picturesque animal. It's streaked sides injure it both in point of colour, and in the delineation of it's form.
• Line 467 But rarely spread it on the distant scene. In general perhaps a landscape is best in∣lightened, when the light falls on the middle parts of the picture; and the foreground is in shadow. This throws a kind of natural retiring hue throughout the landscape: and tho the distance be in shadow, yet that shadow is so faint, that the retiring hue is still preserved. This however is only a general rule. In histo∣ry-painting the light is properly thrown upon the figures on the foreground; which are the capital part of the picture. In landscape the middle grounds commonly form the scene, or the capital part; and the foreground is litttle more, than an appendage. Sometimes however it hap∣pens, that a ruin, or some other capital object on the foreground, makes the prin∣cipal part of the scene. When that is the

• case, it should be distinguished by light; unless it be so situated as to receive more distinction from shade.
• Line 482 A fiercer splendor opens to our view all his terrific features. It is very amusing, in mountainous countries, to observe the appearance, which the same mountain often makes under different circumstan∣ces. When it is invested with light mists; or even when it is not illumined, we see it's whole summit perhaps under one grey tint. But as it receives the sun, especially an evening-sun, we see a va∣riety of fractures, and chasms gradually opening, of which we discovered not the least appearance before.
• Line 488 Tho the objects may lessen in due proportion, which is called keeping; tho the gra∣duating hue of retiring objects, or the aerial perspective, may be just; and tho the light may be distributed according to the rules of art; yet still there may not be that general result of harmony, which denotes the picture one object: and as the eye may be misled, when it has the several parts before it, the best way of examining it as a perfect whole, is to examine it in such a light, as will not admit the investigation of parts.
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• Line 529 Others, &c. Some painters copy exactly what they see. In this there is more mechani∣cal precision, than genius. Others take a general, comprehensive view of their ob∣ject; and marking just the characteristic points, lead the spectator, if he be a man of taste, and genius likewise, into a truer knowledge of it, than the copier can do, with all his painful exactness.
• Line 563 Why then degrade, &c. If by bringing the figures forward on the foreground, you give room for character, and expression, you put them out of place as appendages, for which they were intended.
• Line 581 Oft slowly winding, &c. The machine itself here described is picturesque: and when it is seen in winding motion, or (in other words) when half of it is seen in per∣spective, it receives additional beauty from contrast. In the same manner a cavalcade, or an army on it's march, may be considered as one object; and derive beauty from the same source. Mr. Gray has given us a very picturesque view of this kind, in describing the march of Edward I;

  As down the steep of Snowdon's shaggy side He wound with toilsome march his long array. Stout Gloucester stood aghast in speechless trance: To arms! cried Mortimer; and couched his quivering lance.

• Through a passage in the mountain we see the troops winding round at a great distance. Among those nearer the eye, we distinguish the horse and foot; and on the foreground, the action, and ex∣pression of the principal commanders. The ancients seem to have known very little of that source of the picturesque, which arises from perspective: every thing is in∣troduced in front before the eye: and among the early painters we see very lit∣tle more attention paid to it. Raphael is far from making a full use of the know∣ledge of it; and I believe Julio Romano makes still less. I do not remember meeting any where with a more picturesque description of a line of march, than in Vaillant's travels into the interior parts of Africa. He was passing with a numerous caravan, along the borders of Caffraria. I first, says he, made the people of the hord, which accompanied me, set out with their cat∣tle: and a little after my cattle followed; cows, sheep, and goats; with all the women of the hord, mounted on oxen with their children. My waggons, with the rest of my people, closed the rear. I myself, mounted on horseback, rode backwards, and forewards. This caravan

• on it's march, exhibited often a singu∣lar, and amusing spectacle. The turns it was obliged to make in following the windings of the woods, and rocks, con∣tinually gave it new forms. Sometimes it intirely disappeared: then suddenly, at a distance, from the summit of a hill, I again discovered my vanguard slowly ad∣vancing perhaps towards a distant moun∣tain: while the main body, following the track, were just below me.
• Line 595 This rule indeed applies to all other objects: but as the ship is so large a machine, and at the same time so complicated a one, it's character is less obvious, than that of most other objects. It is much better therefore, where a vessel is neces∣sary, to put in a few touches for a skiff; than to insert some disagreeable form for a ship, to which it has no Resemblance. At the same time, it is not at all neces∣sary to make your ship so accurate, that a seaman could find no fault with it. It is the same in figures: as appendages of landscape there is no necessity to have them exactly accurate; but if they have not the general form, and character of what they represent, the landscape is better without them.
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• Line 603 They seem, &c. Rapid motion alone, and that near the eye, is here censured. We should be careful not to narrow too much the circumscribed sphere of art. There is an art of seeing, as well as of painting. The eye must in part enter into the deception. The art of painting must, in some degree, be considered as an act of convention. General forms only are imi∣tated, and much is to be supplied by the imagination of the spectator.—It is thus in drama. How absurdly would the spectator act, if instead of assisting the illusion of the stage, he should insist on being deceived, without being a party in the deception?—if he refused to believe, that the light he saw, was the sun; or the scene before him, the Roman ca∣pital, because he knew the one was a candle-light, and the other, a painted cloth? The painter therefore must in many things suppose deception; and only avoid it, where it is too palpably gross for the eye to suffer.
• Line 636 Guido's air, no doubt, is often very pleasing. He is thought to have excelled in ima∣gining the angelic character; and, as if aware of this superiority, was fond of painting angels. After all, however, they, whose taste is formed on the simplicity

• of the antique, think Guido's air, in ge∣neral somewhat theatrical.
• Line 638 Skilful they, &c. The greatest obstruction to the progress of art arises from the pre∣judices of conceited judges; who, in fact, know less about the matter, than they, who know nothing: inasmuch as truth is less obvious to error, than it is to ignorance. Till they can be prevailed on to return upon their steps, and look for that criterion in nature, which they seek in the half-perished works of great names; the painter will be discouraged from pursuing knowledge in those paths, where Raphael, and Titian found it.
• Line 639 What if these compare, &c. Bruyere observes, that the inferior critic judges only by comparison. In one sense all judgment must be formed on comparison. But Bruyere, who is speaking of poetry means, that the inferior critic has no scale of judging of a work of art, but by comparing it with some other work of the same kind. He judges of Virgil by a comparison with Homer; and of Spencer by comparing him with Tasso. By such criticism he may indeed arrive at certain truths; but he will never form that masterly judgment, which he might do by comparing the work before him

• with the great archetypes of nature, and the solid rules of his art.—What Bruyere says of the critic in poetry, is very applicable to the critic in painting. The inferior critic, who has travelled, and seen the works of many great masters, supposes he has treasured up from them the ideas of perfection; and instead of judging of a picture by the rules of painting, and it's agreement with nature, he judges of it by the arbitrary ideas he has conceived; and these too very pro∣bably much injured in the conception. From this comparative mode of criti∣cizing, the art receives no advancement. All we gain, is, that one artist paints better than another.

END OF THE NOTES.