Chapter V.—Of the Relative Importance of Truths:—Thirdly, that Truths of Color are the least important of all Truths.
| § 1. | Difference between primary and secondary qualities in bodies. | 67 |
| § 2. | The first are fully characteristic, the second imperfectly so. | 67 |
| § 3. | Color is a secondary quality, therefore less important than form. | 68 |
| § 4. | Color no distinction between objects of the same species. | 68 |
| § 5. | And different in association from what it is alone. | 69 |
| § 6. | It is not certain whether any two people see the same colors in things. | 69 |
| § 7. | Form, considered as an element of landscape, includes light and shade. | 69 |
| § 8. | Importance of light and shade in expressing the character of bodies, and unimportance of color. | 70 |
| § 9. | Recapitulation. | 71 |
Chapter VI.—Recapitulation.
| § 1. | The importance of historical truths. | 72 |
| § 2. | Form, as explained by light and shade, the first of all truths. Tone, light, and color, are secondary. | 72 |
| § 3. | And deceptive chiaroscuro the lowest of all. | 73 |
Chapter VII.—General Application of the Foregoing Principles.
| § 1. | The different selection of facts consequent on the several aims at imitation or at truth. | 74 |
| § 2. | The old masters, as a body, aim only at imitation. | 74 |
| § 3. | What truths they gave. | 75 |
| § 4. | The principles of selection adopted by modern artists. | 76 |
| § 5. | General feeling of Claude, Salvator, and G. Poussin, contrasted with the freedom and vastness of nature. | 77 |
| § 6. | Inadequacy of the landscape of Titian and Tintoret. | 78 |
| § 7. | Causes of its want of influence on subsequent schools. | 79 |
| § 8. | The value of inferior works of art, how to be estimated. | 80 |
| § 9. | Religious landscape of Italy. The admirableness of its completion. | 81 |
| § 10. | Finish, and the want of it, how right—and how wrong. | 82 |
| § 11. | The open skies of the religious schools, how valuable. Mountain drawing of Masaccio. Landscape of the Bellinis and Giorgione. | 84 |
| § 12. | Landscape of Titian and Tintoret. | 86 |
| § 13. | Schools of Florence, Milan, and Bologna. | 88 |
| § 14. | Claude, Salvator, and the Poussins. | 89 |
| § 15. | German and Flemish landscape. | 90 |
| § 16. | The lower Dutch schools. | 92 |
| § 17. | English school, Wilson and Gainsborough. | 93 |
| § 18. | Constable, Callcott. | 94 |
| § 19. | Peculiar tendency of recent landscape. | 95 |
| § 20. | G. Robson, D. Cox. False use of the term "style." | 95 |
| § 21. | Copley Fielding. Phenomena of distant color. | 97 |
| § 22. | Beauty of mountain foreground. | 99 |
| § 23. | De Wint. | 101 |
| § 24. | Influence of Engraving. J. D. Harding. | 101 |
| § 25. | Samuel Prout. Early painting of architecture, how deficient. | 103 |
| § 26. | Effects of age upon buildings, how far desirable. | 104 |
| § 27. | Effects of light, how necessary to the understanding of detail. | 106 |
| § 28. | Architectural painting of Gentile Bellini and Vittor Carpaccio. | 107 |
| § 29. | And of the Venetians generally. | 109 |
| § 30. | Fresco painting of the Venetian exteriors. Canaletto. | 110 |
| § 31. | Expression of the effects of age on Architecture by S. Prout. | 112 |
| § 32. | His excellent composition and color. | 114 |
| § 33. | Modern architectural painting generally. G. Cattermole. | 115 |
| § 34. | The evil in an archæological point of view of misapplied invention, in architectural subject. | 117 |
| § 35. | Works of David Roberts: their fidelity and grace. | 118 |
| § 36. | Clarkson Stanfield. | 121 |
| § 37. | J. M. W. Turner. Force of national feeling in all great painters. | 123 |
| § 38. | Influence of this feeling on the choice of Landscape subject. | 125 |
| § 39. | Its peculiar manifestation in Turner. | 125 |
| § 40. | The domestic subjects of the Liber Studiorum. | 127 |
| § 41. | Turner's painting of French and Swiss landscape. The latter deficient. | 129 |
| § 42. | His rendering of Italian character still less successful. His large compositions how failing. | 130 |
| § 43. | His views of Italy destroyed by brilliancy and redundant quantity. | 133 |
| § 44. | Changes introduced by him in the received system of art. | 133 |
| § 45. | Difficulties of his later manner. Resultant deficiencies. | 134 |
| § 46. | Reflection of his very recent works. | 137 |
| § 47. | Difficulty of demonstration in such subjects. | 139 |
SECTION II.
OF GENERAL TRUTHS.
Chapter I.—Of Truth of Tone.
| § 1. | Meanings of the word "tone:"—First, the right relation of objects in shadow to the principal light. | 140 |
| § 2. | Secondly, the quality of color by which it is felt to owe part of its brightness to the hue of light upon it. | 140 |
| § 3. | Difference between tone in its first sense and aerial perspective. | 141 |
| § 4. | The pictures of the old masters perfect in relation of middle tints to light. | 141 |
| § 5. | And consequently totally false in relation of middle tints to darkness. | 141 |
| § 6. | General falsehood of such a system. | 143 |
| § 7. | The principle of Turner in this respect. | 143 |
| § 8. | Comparison of N. Poussin's "Phocion." | 144 |
| § 9. | With Turner's "Mercury and Argus." | 145 |
| § 10. | And with the "Datur Hora Quieti." | 145 |
| § 11. | The second sense of the word "tone." | 146 |
| § 12. | Remarkable difference in this respect between the paintings and drawings of Turner. | 146 |
| § 13. | Not owing to want of power over the material. | 146 |
| § 14. | The two distinct qualities of light to be considered. | 147 |
| § 15. | Falsehoods by which Titian attains the appearance of quality in light. | 148 |
| § 16. | Turner will not use such means. | 148 |
| § 17. | But gains in essential truth by the sacrifice. | 148 |
| § 18. | The second quality of light. | 148 |
| § 19. | The perfection of Cuyp in this respect interfered with by numerous solecisms. | 150 |
| § 20. | Turner is not so perfect in parts—far more so in the whole. | 151 |
| § 21. | The power in Turner of uniting a number of tones. | 152 |
| § 22. | Recapitulation. | 153 |
Chapter II.—Of Truth of Color.
| § 1. | Observations on the color of G. Poussin's La Riccia. | 155 |
| § 2. | As compared with the actual scene. | 155 |
| § 3. | Turner himself is inferior in brilliancy to nature. | 157 |
| § 4. | Impossible colors of Salvator, Titian. | 157 |
| § 5. | Poussin, and Claude. | 158 |
| § 6. | Turner's translation of colors. | 160 |
| § 7. | Notice of effects in which no brilliancy of art can even approach that of reality. | 161 |
| § 8. | Reasons for the usual incredulity of the observer with respect to their representation. | 162 |
| § 9. | Color of the Napoleon. | 163 |
| § 10. | Necessary discrepancy between the attainable brilliancy of color and light. | 164 |
| § 11. | This discrepancy less in Turner than in other colorists. | 165 |
| § 12. | Its great extent in a landscape attributed to Rubens. | 165 |
| § 13. | Turner scarcely ever uses pure or vivid color. | 166 |
| § 14. | The basis of gray, under all his vivid hues. | 167 |
| § 15. | The variety and fulness even of his most simple tones. | 168 |
| § 16. | Following the infinite and unapproachable variety of nature. | 168 |
| § 17. | His dislike of purple, and fondness for the opposition of yellow and black. The principles of nature in this respect. | 169 |
| § 18. | His early works are false in color. | 170 |
| § 19. | His drawings invariably perfect. | 171 |
| § 20. | The subjection of his system of color to that of chiaroscuro. | 171 |
Chapter III.—Of Truth of Chiaroscuro.
| § 1. | We are not at present to examine particular effects of light. | 174 |
| § 2. | And therefore the distinctness of shadows is the chief means of expressing vividness of light. | 175 |
| § 3. | Total absence of such distinctness in the works of the Italian school. | 175 |
| § 4. | And partial absence in the Dutch. | 176 |
| § 5. | The perfection of Turner's works in this respect. | 177 |
| § 6. | The effect of his shadows upon the light. | 178 |
| § 7. | The distinction holds good between almost all the works of the ancient and modern schools. | 179 |
| § 8. | Second great principle of chiaroscuro. Both high light and deep shadow are used in equal quantity, and only in points. | 180 |
| § 9. | Neglect or contradiction of this principle by writers on art. | 180 |
| § 10. | And consequent misguiding of the student. | 181 |
| § 11. | The great value of a simple chiaroscuro. | 182 |
| § 12. | The sharp separation of nature's lights from her middle tint. | 182 |
| § 13. | The truth of Turner. | 183 |
Chapter IV.—Of Truth of Space:—First, as Dependent on the Focus of the Eye.
| § 1. | Space is more clearly indicated by the drawing of objects than by their hue. | 185 |
| § 2. | It is impossible to see objects at unequal distances distinctly at one moment. | 186 |
| § 3. | Especially such as are both comparatively near. | 186 |
| § 4. | In painting, therefore, either the foreground or distance must be partially sacrificed. | 187 |
| § 5. | Which not being done by the old masters, they could not express space. | 187 |
| § 6. | But modern artists have succeeded in fully carrying out this principle. | 188 |
| § 7. | Especially of Turner. | 189 |
| § 8. | Justification of the want of drawing in Turner's figures. | 189 |
Chapter V.—Of Truth of Space:—Secondly, as its Appearance is dependent on the Power of the Eye.
| § 1. | The peculiar indistinctness dependent on the retirement of objects from the eye. | 191 |
| § 2. | Causes confusion, but not annihilation of details. | 191 |
| § 3. | Instances in various objects. | 192 |
| § 4. | Two great resultant truths; that nature is never distinct, and never vacant. | 193 |
| § 5. | Complete violation of both these principles by the old masters. They are either distinct or vacant. | 193 |
| § 6. | Instances from Nicholas Poussin. | 194 |
| § 7. | From Claude. | 194 |
| § 8. | And G. Poussin. | 195 |
| § 9. | The imperative necessity, in landscape painting, of fulness and finish. | 196 |
| § 10. | Breadth is not vacancy. | 197 |
| § 11. | The fulness and mystery of Turner's distances. | 198 |
| § 12. | Farther illustrations in architectural drawing. | 199 |
| § 13. | In near objects as well as distances. | 199 |
| § 14. | Vacancy and falsehood of Canaletto. | 200 |
| § 15. | Still greater fulness and finish in landscape foregrounds. | 200 |
| § 16. | Space and size are destroyed alike by distinctness and by vacancy. | 202 |
| § 17. | Swift execution best secures perfection of details. | 202 |
| § 18. | Finish is far more necessary in landscape than in historical subjects. | 202 |
| § 19. | Recapitulation of the section. | 203 |
SECTION III.
OF TRUTH OF SKIES.
Chapter I.—Of the Open Sky.
| § 1. | The peculiar adaptation of the sky to the pleasing and teaching of man. | 204 |
| § 2. | The carelessness with which its lessons are received. | 205 |
| § 3. | The most essential of these lessons are the gentlest. | 205 |
| § 4. | Many of our ideas of sky altogether conventional. | 205 |
| § 5. | Nature, and essential qualities of the open blue. | 206 |
| § 6. | Its connection with clouds. | 207 |
| § 7. | Its exceeding depth. | 207 |
| § 8. | These qualities are especially given by modern masters. | 207 |
| § 9. | And by Claude. | 208 |
| § 10. | Total absence of them in Poussin. Physical errors in his general treatment of open sky. | 208 |
| § 11. | Errors of Cuyp in graduation of color. | 209 |
| § 12. | The exceeding value of the skies of the early Italian and Dutch schools. Their qualities are unattainable in modern times. | 210 |
| § 13. | Phenomena of visible sunbeams. Their nature and cause. | 211 |
| § 14. | They are only illuminated mist, and cannot appear when the sky is free from vapor, nor when it is without clouds. | 211 |
| § 15. | Erroneous tendency in the representation of such phenomena by the old masters. | 212 |
| § 16. | The ray which appears in the dazzled eye should not be represented. | 213 |
| § 17. | The practice of Turner. His keen perception of the more delicate phenomena of rays. | 213 |
| § 18. | The total absence of any evidence of such perception in the works of the old masters. | 213 |
| § 19. | Truth of the skies of modern drawings. | 214 |
| § 20. | Recapitulation. The best skies of the ancients are, in quality, inimitable, but in rendering of various truth, childish. | 215 |
Chapter II.—Of Truth of Clouds:—First, of the Region of the Cirrus.
| § 1. | Difficulty of ascertaining wherein the truth of clouds consists. | 216 |
| § 2. | Variation of their character at different elevations. The three regions to which they may conveniently be considered as belonging. | 216 |
| § 3. | Extent of the upper region. | 217 |
| § 4. | The symmetrical arrangement of its clouds. | 217 |
| § 5. | Their exceeding delicacy. | 218 |
| § 6. | Their number. | 218 |
| § 7. | Causes of their peculiarly delicate coloring. | 219 |
| § 8. | Their variety of form. | 219 |
| § 9. | Total absence of even the slightest effort at their representation, in ancient landscape. | 220 |
| § 10. | The intense and constant study of them by Turner. | 221 |
| § 11. | His vignette, Sunrise on the Sea. | 222 |
| § 12. | His use of the cirrus in expressing mist. | 223 |
| § 13. | His consistency in every minor feature. | 224 |
| § 14. | The color of the upper clouds. | 224 |
| § 15. | Recapitulation. | 225 |
Chapter III.—Of Truth of Clouds:—Secondly, of the Central Cloud Region.
| § 1. | Extent and typical character of the central cloud region. | 226 |
| § 2. | Its characteristic clouds, requiring no attention nor thought for their representation, are therefore favorite subjects with the old masters. | 226 |
| § 3. | The clouds of Salvator and Poussin. | 227 |
| § 4. | Their essential characters. | 227 |
| § 5. | Their angular forms and general decision of outline. | 228 |
| § 6. | The composition of their minor curves. | 229 |
| § 7. | Their characters, as given by S. Rosa. | 230 |
| § 8. | Monotony and falsehood of the clouds of the Italian school generally. | 230 |
| § 9. | Vast size of congregated masses of cloud. | 231 |
| § 10. | Demonstrable by comparison with mountain ranges. | 231 |
| § 11. | And consequent divisions and varieties of feature. | 232 |
| § 12. | Not lightly to be omitted. | 232 |
| § 13. | Imperfect conceptions of this size and extent in ancient landscape. | 233 |
| § 14. | Total want of transparency and evanescence in the clouds of ancient landscape. | 234 |
| § 15. | Farther proof of their deficiency in space. | 235 |
| § 16. | Instance of perfect truth in the sky of Turner's Babylon. | 236 |
| § 17. | And in his Pools of Solomon. | 237 |
| § 18. | Truths of outline and character in his Como. | 237 |
| § 19. | Association of the cirrostratus with the cumulus. | 238 |
| § 20. | The deep-based knowledge of the Alps in Turner's Lake of Geneva. | 238 |
| § 21. | Farther principles of cloud form exemplified in his Amalfi. | 239 |
| § 22. | Reasons for insisting on the infinity of Turner's works. Infinity is almost an unerring test of all truth | 239 |
| § 23. | Instances of the total want of it in the works of Salvator. | 240 |
| § 24. | And of the universal presence of it in those of Turner. The conclusions which may be arrived at from it. | 240 |
| § 25. | The multiplication of objects, or increase of their size, will not give the impression of infinity, but is the resource of novices. | 241 |
| § 26. | Farther instances of infinity in the gray skies of Turner. | 242 |
| § 27. | The excellence of the cloud-drawing of Stanfield. | 242 |
| § 28. | The average standing of the English school. | 243 |
Chapter IV.—Of Truth of Clouds:—Thirdly, of the Region of the Rain-Cloud.
| § 1. | The apparent difference in character between the lower and central clouds is dependent chiefly on proximity. | 244 |
| § 2. | Their marked differences in color. | 244 |
| § 3. | And in definiteness of form. | 245 |
| § 4. | They are subject to precisely the same great laws. | 245 |
| § 5. | Value, to the painter, of the rain-cloud. | 246 |
| § 6. | The old masters have not left a single instance of the painting of the rain-cloud, and very few efforts at it. Gaspar Poussin's storms. | 247 |
| § 7. | The great power of the moderns in this respect. | 248 |
| § 8. | Works of Copley Fielding. | 248 |
| § 9. | His peculiar truth. | 248 |
| § 10. | His weakness, and its probable cause. | 249 |
| § 11. | Impossibility of reasoning on the rain-clouds of Turner from engravings. | 250 |
| § 12. | His rendering of Fielding's particular moment in the Jumieges. | 250 |
| § 13. | Illustration of the nature of clouds in the opposed forms of smoke and steam. | 250 |
| § 14. | Moment of retiring rain in the Llanthony. | 251 |
| § 15. | And of commencing, chosen with peculiar meaning for Loch Coriskin. | 252 |
| § 16. | The drawing of transparent vapor in the Land's End. | 253 |
| § 17. | The individual character of its parts. | 253 |
| § 18. | Deep-studied form of swift rain-cloud in the Coventry. | 254 |
| § 19. | Compared with forms given by Salvator. | 254 |
| § 20. | Entire expression of tempest by minute touches and circumstances in the Coventry. | 255 |
| § 21. | Especially by contrast with a passage of extreme repose. | 255 |
| § 22. | The truth of this particular passage. Perfectly pure blue sky only seen after rain, and how seen. | 256 |
| § 23. | Absence of this effect in the works of the old masters. | 256 |
| § 24. | Success of our water-color artists in its rendering. Use of it by Turner. | 257 |
| § 25. | Expression of near rain-cloud in the Gosport, and other works. | 257 |
| § 26. | Contrasted with Gaspar Poussin's rain-cloud in the Dido and Æneas. | 258 |
| § 27. | Turner's power of rendering mist. | 258 |
| § 28. | His effects of mist so perfect, that if not at once understood, they can no more be explained or reasoned on than nature herself. | 259 |
| § 29. | Various instances. | 259 |
| § 30. | Turner's more violent effects of tempest are never rendered by engravers. | 260 |
| § 31. | General system of landscape engraving. | 260 |
| § 32. | The storm in the Stonehenge. | 260 |
| § 33. | General character of such effects as given by Turner. His expression of falling rain. | 261 |
| § 34. | Recapitulation of the section. | 261 |
| § 35. | Sketch of a few of the skies of nature, taken as a whole, compared with the works of Turner and of the old masters. Morning on the plains. | 262 |
| § 36. | Noon with gathering storms. | 263 |
| § 37. | Sunset in tempest. Serene midnight. | 264 |
| § 38. | And sunrise on the Alps. | 264 |