The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-11 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

LECTURES ON PAINTING.

On Saturday evening B. R. Haydon, Esq., delivered his
fourth lecture upon this delightful art.
Compostion is the art of determining the arrangement and
quantities of the materials used to convey to the mind,
through the eye, the story intended to be told in the picture.
In all great events suited for painting or poetry, there must
be a prominent figure, a leading object, and the subject must
affect or terrify. Reynolds says that any man can execute
a single part, but it requires a great genius to arrange and
adapt the parts. This is perfectly true. We constantly hear
of rules in painting and poetry, but we find that the greatest
painters and poets have preceded the rules of their respective
arts, The ancient Egyptians understood composition ; they
always introduced into their compositions a principal figure,
and we frequently find great beauty in the figures and men.
Whence the Egyptians derived their knowledge of painting
is unknown, but there is reason to believe that they derived
it from other nations.

After choosing a subject, the first principle is to have a
proper figure, and the next to ascertain the inclination the
figure makes, whether it be perpendicular to its base, or at
an obtuse or an acute angle to it. Whatever be the incli-
nation of the line in the principal figure, or the principal
part of that figure, that inclination as a line, must be repeated
by the inclination of other figures in parallel lines, not in
particular lines, unless for a particular purpose. Again,
other figures must reverse the inclination of th-e principal
figures. In this manner you will complete your composition
in quantity and lines. The masses of light and colour can
equally be brought under the laws of light and shade. The
grouping of the picture is a difficult and a delicate subject,
both as regards the arrangement and the quantity. There
are various ways of arranging figures. Some painters choose
the ellipse. Thus we find that Raphael has introduced it
into his exquisite cartoon of the death of Ananias. The
pyramidal is another style, which there is no doubt origi-
nated in the pediments of temples. Although Raphael used
this frequently, he preferred the perspective. The circular
form is sometimes used—Rubens thought it too simple, and
the great masters of the art hated simplicity, which they
agreed was the result ofeither idleness or want of genius. It
has been said that figures must not be parallel and particular
too, unless for some particular effect, accordingly in the
death of Ananias. We find parallel and particular figures
used, by which an awful effect is produced. Our lights should
never pass at right angles, as it offends the eye; they should
pass diagonally. Nobody attended to the arrangement of
his lights and his colours more than Sir Joshua Reynolds.
The colouring of the death of Ananias is as superb as any
thing ever witnessed, and it is considered the chcf d'ceuv;e
of Raphael. Mr. West used frequently to deliver lectures
upon the harmony and beauty of the cartoon. Of course in
all compositions there will be a number of repetitions of all
the parts. There should be three groups, three masses of
lights, and three of shades, the leading figure being always
the principal. Care must, however, be taken that the leading
figure is not rendered too powerful; therefore it is not ad-
visable to place the powerful light, the powerful colour, or
the powerful shadows upon it exclusively, unless for some
particular purpose, such as the excitement of terror; but
young artists should be careful how they take liberties before
they have experience to guide them. There is nothing so
difficult to define as the distances between the figures; it has
been attempted to define it, but it cannot be done. The
greatest sculptors and the greatest painters have always been
the greatest composers, and it was the art of arraying their
materials which rendered them of so much use to their
fellow-creatures. An artist should balance his quantities,
his colour, and his light, but he should take care that his
pictures are not too simple. Mr. Haydon then entered into
a description of the cartoon, " Feed my sheep," by Raphael,
an engraving of which he exhibited. Many painters degrade
their art by merely realizing the conceptions of a poet—they
should originate fresh ideas, and not depict those of others ;
or, if they do borrow from poetry, they should draw upon
their inventive powers so as not to follow too closely the copy
which they imitate.
Young painters are apt to consider figures of more import-
ance than quantity or mass; unless the naked form be the
main requisite to develope the story, this is not the case.
The first object in composition is to please the eye, by con-
veying the story to the mind in a pleasing form, and all other
objects must be sacrificed to this. The naked form, however
beautiful, must yield to this overpowering principle, the
ponere lotion. We find that the sun is in the nudit of a sys-
tem, and that the general of an army is attended by colonels,
captains, &c. in due gradation. Raphael could always paint
heads in any part of his pictures, and supply the deficiencies
of mass by numerous contrivances. There was one principle
in composition which he would recommend to young men,
and that was, that no picture was perfect without a beautiful
woman; and there was every reason to suppose that this is
the reason why the compositions of Raphael and Coreggio
exercise such magic over us.
Some persons have entertained an opinion that the ancient
Greeks were not skilled in composition, which they have
based upon the rude paintings found in Herculaneum and
Pompeii. The Elgin marbles, however, are sufficient to
dispel that illusion. It might, with equal reason, be urged
some thousands of years hence, that the paintings executed
in Australia at the present period are to be taken as a speci-
men of the skill of British artists. The paintings which
adorn the walls of a provincial Roman city, destroyed 70
years before the Christian era, are not surely to be taken as a
fair criterion by which to estimate the abilities of the
early Greek painters. Indeed as we find that the Roman
writers have praised the works of the Greek painters infi-
nitely more than they have those of the sculptors; and as we
have evidence in the elgin marbles that the Romans have
not over rated the latter, we have just reason for supposing
that the works of the Greek painters must have excelled
those of the sculptors Quinctilian tells us that Xerxes dis-
covered the principles of light and shadow. The Greeks we
are also told understood the arts of perspective and fore-
shortening.
Why are not schools of design formed in every one of the
great towns in this kingdom, so that the young men might
do every thing in their power to improve themselves? A
large proportion of the most eminent British artists, inclu-
ding Charles Eastlake, and Edwin and Charles Landseer,
were pupils of the lecturer, and one great reason of their ex-
cellence was, that they had been taught to dissect. See, in
consequence, with what truth Edwin Landseer draws ani-
mals. There is a magnificent gallery at the Royal Institu-
tion, in this town, and all you want to render it complete,
is an anatomical skeleton and figure. The young men
should be freely admitted to study in this gallery, and thus
they could spee-dily attain an intimate knowledge of propor-
tion with such a magnificent collection; it is a pity that the
young men do not avail themselves of it. The gallery should
be rendered useful, and young men be admitted three times a
week,—it is the finest collection of sculpture I ever saw, and
it is a pity that it should be idle. They have a school of de-
sign in Manchester, which will rival any school out of Lon-
don. They have a skilful superintendent, a most interesting
young man, and the whole town takes an interest in the
school. They should have a school of design here, especially
as the town possessed such a valuable gallery,
[We beg to inform Mr. Haydon, if he is still unacquainted
with the fact, that the Liverpool Mechanics' Institution al-
ready possesses an excellent school of design, which, with
proper encouragement, will no doubt contribute to the fame
of our town in the circles of art. The liberal-minded direc-
tors of the Institution have long felt the want of a gallery to
be a serious impediment to the prosperity of this department;
but burdened, as they have been, with a large debt, have
naturally shrunk from increasing the heavy expenses which
have been incurred in the erection of their noble building.
What will Mr. Haydon think when he is informed that the
public of Liverpool have already generously subscribed
£15,000 towards this edifice! The debt being now nearly
paid, it has been determined to delay no longer the erection
of a gallery for sculpture; and we feel assured that the ge-
nerosity of our townsmen will keep pace with the prosperity
of the Institution, as they perceive the great good which it
is beginning to exercise over the prosperity and happiness
of the productive classes, and the still further good of which
it may be rendered capable. Already, it will be seen, they
have advertised for plans for a gallery, to devote to this pur-
pose; and the building being erected, casts of the Elgin,
Egina, and other ancient sculptures, will not be wanting to
adorn its interior; so that in the course of a few years, under
the able superintendence of its amiable and accomplished
master, Mr. William Bishop, we may soon expect the Liver-
pool School of Design to rank second to none out of the me-
tropolis, or even to be surpassed by any there.]

On Wednesday evening, Mr. Havdon delivered the fifth
of his lectures, in which he pointed out the principle of co-
lour and light and shade.
Having settled the great base of all art, first, the principles
of the human form, and secondly, the modes of arranging
that form under the head of composition, we now come to
treat of colour, light and shade, light and dark, surface and
execution. There are three primitive colours, red, yellow,
and blue. Red and yellow are considered by artists as warm
colours, because with them fire is imitated; and blue is
called a cold colour, because,it is used to represent water.
The proportion of warm colour to cold is as two to one, warmth
is therefore the principle of colour and cold an exception.
Colour has a much better foundation than that of the eye; it
is, in fact, a provident arrangement of the Creator himself.
The colours produced by the admixture of red and yellow are
also warm, whereas those containing blue are cold ; and this
characteristic prevails however dark or however light the co-
lour. This
principle can be discovered in Rubens' darkest
tints: 'There is,. perhaps, no more evident proof of the kind
consideration of the Creator of all thins for the happiness of
his creatures than the manner in which he has invested every
thing with property of reflecting colour upon the eye. With-
out this the blush of beauty would not present any contrast
to the paleness of death. It is certain that the Greeks con-
sidered colour as much a part of artistical education as they
did light and shade. Blue was not one of the colours used
by the early Greek painters. The first black which they used
was a blue black obtained by the burning of vine leaves;
and ivory black was only discovered by Apelles, who obtained
it by burning ivory. But without blue it woUld not be possi-
ble to have that beautiful combination which is the charac-
teristic of the Venetian school. Pliny says that the Greeks
used only four colours, which four he adds are enough for all
combinations. Now we see that three are all that are re-
quired. Black and white are not colours. As the Gieeks
left out blue it is quite impossible that they could have car-
ried colouring to the perfection of the Venetian school, al-
though they might have equalled Rubens or Annibal Carracci
in style. At the period of Apelles, however, all the colours
must have been used in perfection. Sir Humphiv Davy was
decidedly of this opinion. Pliny says that Apelles repre-
sented the sea, and this required azure. It is extraordinary
that Sir Joshua Reynolds did not allude to the absence of
blue in the works of the early Greek painters, in his notice
of Pliny.
Canova remarked that the English school was the only
school of colour in the world, although the climate of Eng-
land was the worst known. The use of colour in painting
is perhaps more regulated by the laws of association than
any other portion of the art. Our very feelings are affected
by colour. Joy and gladness is associated with white, and
the contrary with the reverse. The Chinese, who put on
white for the loss of a friend are reversing the feelings of the
mind, while the Europeans, who put on black, are correct.
Schools of art are so many defects in art. A gay scene would
ill be expressed by the obscurity of Rubens; in short, the
silveriness of one school, the gaudiness of another, and the
splendour of a third, are but faults of art. When colour in a
grand subject is consistent and harmonious instead of incou-
sistent and gaudy, it must assist rather than detract from the
purity of the art. The principle of laying on colour is the same
as that of composition—nothing should offend. Therefore
we should have constant repetitions, but not too remarkable
ones. There never was a better place for the study of colour
than the Louvre, and never should the lecturer forget the
feelings of de/ight and ecstacy with which he first contem-
plated that collection. By looking at them you imbibe
principles in half an hour which took other artists years to
lay down. Rubens bears all down by his breadth, bright-
ness, and depth; and if an artist keeps these principles in
view, he may defy rivalry or competition. The silvery
beauty of Guido looks grey, and you find that those artistssuffer most whOse works have the most peculiarities. The
most gorgeous of the modern schools of art is the Venetian,
the colouring of which is characterised by their splendour.
The lecturer had once painted from models lighted with a
lamp in daylight, and thus got a golden light like the Vene-
tian; but probably in Italy they were able to get the same
splendour by letting in the sun upon the model, which he
got by allowing a lamp to play upon it. The splendour of
the Venetian school was produced by laying on every colour
in its native purity on a white ground, and never mixing the
colour. They then brought the whole into harmonious glory
by glazing, which lessened the gaudiness without losing the
splendour of the original pure colour. This was the practice
of the Greeks in the time of Apelles. Glazing gives a mag-
nificence to a painting, but young wren must not depend too
much upon it. The first aim of a young man should be to
get a fine tint by no other means than by solid colours. If
glazing is not well managed, it flattens; and if not used in a
gummy vehicle, it runs into the fleshy tints. The fault of
the English school of glazing is, that it is too palpable.
Titian concealed it.