The national Republican., 1869-03-09
tCommunleated J
Art and Arflara

AFt @nu hrttsts.
/ am acquainted with an English artist
who, being struck by the vivid tiuts of some
STUN which he saw worn by the women in
Venice, and which appeared to him precisely
the same as thoso he admired In Titan and
Paul Vermcsc, purchased some pieces Of the
same fabric and brought them to England:
but he soon found that for his purpose lie
ought to have brought the venltian atmos.
phere with him. When unpacked In Lon.
don the reds seemed as dlngy, aud the vol.
lows as dirty, and the blues us smoky ns our
own.
But II is not merely the brightness and
purity Of the mospherc-elsewhcrc In Itaiy
as pure and as brlght-lt Is still more the
particular mode Of existence at Venice
which has rendered the perception of color
In masses SO great source Of pleasure,
while IL has become leading characteristic
In Venitian art. There Is n most interesting
note appended to the translation Of ''Grthe's
| Theory OF Colors," which cxempliaes and,
| In some sort, explains this relation between
the circumstances Of the locality aud the
peculiar sentiment Of the painters as regards
the treatment of color. The translator, (Mr.
Eastlake,) after some general remarks on
various systems Of colorlng In various
schools, thus continues
|
served In all places, with almost equal con.
yenience; but with regard to an important
quality In living nature, namely, the color
OF the flesh, perhaps there are no circum-
stances In which Its effects at different dis
stances can be so conveniently compared, a
when the observer and the observed grud-
ually approach and glide past each other on
so smooth an element, and In so undisturbed
o manner, as on the canals and In the gon.
dolas at Venice; the compilations, from the
peculiar carnations Of tho Italian women to
the sunburnt features and limbs of the mari
ners, presenting at the same time the fullest
variety In another sense. At a certain dis
tance the color being always assumed TO
be unimpaircd by intorposed atmosphere
the reflections appear klndcd to intcnser
warmth, the fiery glow Of Glorgionc Is stTik-
ingly apparent, the color is seen In Its largest
relation. The mdcchid, an expression used
so emphatically by italian writers, q. Z. tho
) local color,) appears in all Its quantity; aud
1 the reflections being the focus of warmth, the
hue seems TO darkcn in shade" As the
: gondola floats toward us "a nearer view
I gives the detail of color tints more pcrccpti.
bly,, and the forms arc more distinct. Hence
4 Lanzi Is quite correct when, In distinguish,
Ing the style of Titan from that of GiorgionC
|. he says that Titan's was at once more dc
: fined and less heryi In a still nearer obscrva
d tion the eye detects the minute lights which
h Leonardo da Ninci says were incompatible,
: with the effects we have just been describing
and which, accordingly, we never find II
n Titan and Glorgione."
"1n assuming that the Nentian painter
n may have acquired a taste for this brcndtl
Of color under the circumstances alluded to
II Is moreover to be remembered that tn
II time for this agreeable study was the even
l. ing; when the sun had already set benin,
v the hills of Bassano; when the light wa
> glowing, but diGuscd; when the shadow
were soft-condltions all agreeing with tn
et character Of their colOring; above all, whci
n the hour invited the fairer portion Of tn
10 population to betake themselves In thei
!, gondolas to the Lagunes."
u 1t results from this that what We call til
er "Venitlan colOring" Is at Venice a Ffh;
is the faithful transcript Of certain ciIccti
having their causes In the very nature of III
X things and the conditions of the cxistcnC
,s around us; but elsewhere 1t is u fashion, n
imitation, beautiful suppoitlon; We Al
obliged TO grant those conditions which hci
We sec and feel.-Mrs. jameson.