The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-17

MON of fine arts with manufactures. II would be
n experiment on an immense scale, which, II sue
essful, would tend TO dispe the pre- udces OF those
whose eyes are yet uniformed to color, 10 develope
he imperfect expectations of others, and save this
country from the reproach which foreign vislsefs,
more educated In this particular than ourselves,
would not fail 10 make We're the building DINER
wise painted; il would everywhere bring out the
construction OF the building, which, as SAID De-
ore, would appear higher, longer, ana more SOHO.
To produce this result Is essential not 10 make
coloring may become the most vul-
gar, as il may be the most beautiful OF objects IL
d necessary, therefore, TO proceed with great eau
non calculate the effect OF every step, not TO De
msled by the appearance Of any one portion Of the
building; but to bear in mind always the effect the
building will have when complete aud furnished.
have not shrunk from readlng path beset with
30 many difficulties, and willingly appear before
you this evening to meet your criticisms, aud to
weigh any opinions which the experience OF my
brother architects may suggest (Cheers) 4 we
examine the remains of the architecture of the
ancents we shall find everywhere that in the early
periods the prevailing coiors used 10 decoration
were the "primares," blue, red, and yellow-the
"secondaries" appearing very sparingly We md
this equally in the remains OF Nineveh, Central
America, Of Egypt, and Greece, and throughout
the earlier civilizations generally We ma also
everywhere that time wore on, the secondary
colors invaded the dominion of The primaries Blue
and red were suppldnted by green and purple. 10
Egypt, in the temples built by the Pharoahs blue,
red, and yellow mainly prevailed, whilst IN those
their places. In those ofthe Roman period, colors
are still further degraded to dull and incongru-
Gus muddiness. In the Greek temples, as lar as
we can gather from the few remains OF color we
have, the same law prevails; whilst IN PoHlpen
we find the secondaries and tertiaTes as the ruling
harmonies. In the ALEXANDRA, the blue and red OF
the Moors were painted over with green and pur-
pie by Charles Y, and his successors, and with
The worst effect In modern Cairo, and in the east
generally, We have green constantly appearing side
by side with red, where blue would have been used
n earher times.
II is equally true of the works of the middle
ages. In the early manuscripts and stained glass,
though other colors were not excluded, yet the
primaries were che fly used whilst, IN later times,
have every variety of shade and tint. and rarely
with equal success. Ii would seem. either that
the human mind, ever seeking for change, became
weary of the simple harmonies which the primaries
afforded, and sought more complicated effects from
the secoRdaries and ertiaries, or probably II arose
from the decline of art and the incapaclIy OF the
arst, vi no, unable 10 deal with the primary coors
in their pure state, took refuge in the secondares
and tertiaries, where error III the balance OF color
was less fatal, although 10 produce a perfect har-
mony with the secondaries and tertlarles Is no
doubt much more difficult. Amongst modern ex-
smples OF the use of color, We may cite the Royal
Chapel of Munich, IN which blue, red, and gold
form the principa harmones as far superior TO the
other churches OF the same city, in which the So
condary and terlary colors prevail. AT Paris, IN
the Church of St. Vincent dc Paul, decidedly the
most perfect specimen OF modern decoration in any
rated by white this church contrasts admirably
with the decorations of ST. Denis, 81, German des
Pres, and other churches OF Paris, in which the
secondaries and teruaries prevail When the Sc
condary coors were used in the best periods in
conjunction with the primaries, they were general
ly confined 10 the lower parts of the building, fol-
lowing, IN this, nature, who uses for her flowers
the primaries and reserves the secondarles Tor her
leaves and stalks.
In The decoration ofthe exhibition building, there
fore propose TO the colors blue, red, and yellow
in such relative Quantities as 10 neuralze or destroy
each other; thus one color will be dominant, or
fatigue the eye, and all the exhibited objects will
and be assisted by the coors of the building
itself In house decoration We occasionally hn1
run upon one color; we have green room, PINK
room, and a red room, NC. Ii would obviously be
unwise 10 adopt any color for this building,
where the coatents will be OF all imaginable hues,
from white to black Discarding, on the other
hand, the perfect neutral white, unit for the
occasion, naturally adopt blue, red, and yellow,
or near the neutral proportions OF eight, nve,
and three; but 10 avoid any harsh antagonism or
The primary colors when IN contact, or any unde-
sired complimentary secondaries arising from the
immediate proximity OF the primaries, propose IN
all cases 10 inierpose line OF white between them,
which will soften them and give them their true
value. Il is well kno vn that il blue and red come
together without the interposiiion OF white, they
will each become tnged with the complimentary
color Of the other thus the red would become
slightly orange, and the blue slightly green. As
all CooTed bodies reflect some white rays, the
white in juxaposiiion, by its superior force, extn
grishes these white rays, and we see the colors
purer, at the same tif:e that the white becomes
Hinged with the complimentary color OF that against
which IL is placed, thus further heighieniag the
effect. AS one Of the objects OF decorating build
ing to increase the effect Of light and shade, the
best means Of using blue, red, and yellow, 4 10
place blue, which relieves, on the concave surface;
yellow, which advances, on the convex; and red,
the color Of the middle distance, on the horizontal
planes; the neutral white on the vertical planes
Following out this principle on the builing before
49, -. .Aaxa Aaa atf he mir
yellow on the round portions OF the columns, blue
in the hollows OF the capital. Now II is necessary
only put the several coors in the right phases,
but they must also be used in their due proportion
10 each other.
Mr. Field in his admirable works on color, has
shown, by direct experiment, that white light con-
stats Of blue, red, and yellow, neutrallzing each
other IN the proportions OF ;, D, and y. IL Will
readily be seen tina, the nearer we can arrive at
this state II neutrality, the more harmonious and
light giving will a building become; and an exam
nation OF the most perfect specimens OF harmo-
nous colorng Of the ancienis will show that this
proportion has generally obtaned-thai - TO say:
that there has been much blue as the yellow and
red put together. Thus the light and the shade
are made to balance each other. or course we
cannot, in decorating buildings, always command
the exact proportions Of colored surface we require
but the balance Of colors can always be obtained
by a change IN the colors themselves; thus, II the
surfaces 10 be covered should give too much yell
low, we should make the red more crimson and
the blue more purple-ihat Is, we should take the
J elbow out Of them. so we had TOO much blue
we should make the yellow more orange and the
red more scarlet. a practised eye will as readily
do this as q man may tune musical instrument.
IL II here that science aoandons the artist, who
must trust to his own perceptions, cultivated BY re-
~ ated trials and failures In the present instance
must DO this IN The presence OF the world al large
In ordinary cases the architect may shut up his
building TIL il Is complete Here the public will
watch every step from the hrst TO the last "a
lhis account invite YOU to suspend your judgment,
and beg Of those who have already seen the speci-
men II the building, or who may see the work IN
its progress, 10 Danish constantly from heir minds
the %, ects by which Il is now surrounded II -
evident to al that yellow and blue color viii APP
pear very differently when seen with a carpet or
other hangngs for back ground, 10 what It does |
now with back ground ol deal bosrjs, and a fore
ground Of carpenters benches.
This had the honor Of pointing out to The Roy |
ell Commissioners few days since, By suspendIng |
a series Of carpets al distance OF Il feet from \
the columns The yellow and blue columns stood 1
out clear and solid. whilst on the red columns the
r.. A -. 49,