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Modern Painters, Volume 1 (of 5)

Chapter 22: SECTION V.
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About This Book

The author mounts a sustained defense of contemporary landscape painting against superficial criticism, arguing that painting's highest duty is truthful observation of nature combined with imaginative interpretation. He examines principles of color, light, and form, contrasts genuine feeling with theatrical affectation, and uses close readings of works to illustrate how painters render atmospheric and moral truth. The prose interleaves evocative landscape description with aesthetic theory, critiques prevailing tastes and older schools when they obscure nature, and urges a deeper, disciplined perception as the foundation of artistic judgment.

Chapter V.—Effects of Light rendered by Modern Art.

§  1. Reasons for merely, at present, naming, without examining the particular effects of light rendered by Turner. 266
§  2. Hopes of the author for assistance in the future investigation of them. 266

SECTION IV.

OF TRUTH OF EARTH.

Chapter I.—Of General Structure.

§  1. First laws of the organization of the earth, and their importance in art. 270
§  2. The slight attention ordinarily paid to them. Their careful study by modern artists. 271
§  3. General structure of the earth. The hills are its action, the plains its rest. 271
§  4. Mountains come out from underneath the plains, and are their support. 272
§  5. Structure of the plains themselves. Their perfect level, when deposited by quiet water. 273
§  6. Illustrated by Turner's Marengo. 273
§  7. General divisions of formation resulting from this arrangement. Plan of investigation. 274

Chapter II.—Of the Central Mountains.

§  1. Similar character of the central peaks in all parts of the world. 275
§  2. Their arrangements in pyramids or wedges, divided by vertical fissures. 275
§  3. Causing groups of rock resembling an artichoke or rose. 276
§  4. The faithful statement of these facts by Turner in his Alps at Daybreak. 276
§  5. Vignette of the Andes and others. 277
§  6. Necessary distance, and consequent aerial effect on all such mountains. 277
§  7. Total want of any rendering of their phenomena in ancient art. 278
§  8. Character of the representations of Alps in the distances of Claude. 278
§  9. Their total want of magnitude and aerial distance. 279
§ 10. And violation of specific form. 280
§ 11. Even in his best works. 280
§ 12. Farther illustration of the distant character of mountain chains. 281
§ 13. Their excessive appearance of transparency. 281
§ 14. Illustrated from the works of Turner and Stanfield. The Borromean Islands of the latter. 282
§ 15. Turner's Arona. 283
§ 16. Extreme distance of large objects always characterized by very sharp outline. 283
§ 17. Want of this decision in Claude. 284
§ 18. The perpetual rendering of it by Turner. 285
§ 19. Effects of snow, how imperfectly studied. 285
§ 20. General principles of its forms on the Alps. 287
§ 21. Average paintings of Switzerland. Its real spirit has scarcely yet been caught. 289

Chapter III.—Of the Inferior Mountains.

§  1. The inferior mountains are distinguished from the central, by being divided into beds. 290
§  2. Farther division of these beds by joints. 290
§  3. And by lines of lamination. 291
§  4. Variety and seeming uncertainty under which these laws are manifested. 291
§  5. The perfect expression of them in Turner's Loch Coriskin. 292
§  6. Glencoe and other works. 293
§  7. Especially the Mount Lebanon. 293
§  8. Compared with the work of Salvator. 294
§  9. And of Poussin. 295
§ 10. Effects of external influence on mountain form. 296
§ 11. The gentle convexity caused by aqueous erosion. 297
§ 12. And the effect of the action of torrents. 297
§ 13. The exceeding simplicity of contour caused by these influences. 298
§ 14. And multiplicity of feature. 299
§ 15. Both utterly neglected in ancient art. 299
§ 16. The fidelity of treatment in Turner's Daphne and Leucippus. 300
§ 17. And in the Avalanche and Inundation. 300
§ 18. The rarity among secondary hills of steep slopes or high precipices. 301
§ 19. And consequent expression of horizontal distance in their ascent. 302
§ 20. Full statement of all these facts in various works of Turner.—Caudebec, etc. 302
§ 21. The use of considering geological truths. 303
§ 22. Expression of retiring surface by Turner contrasted with the work of Claude. 304
§ 23. The same moderation of slope in the contours of his higher hills. 304
§ 24. The peculiar difficulty of investigating the more essential truths of hill outline. 305
§ 25. Works of other modern artists.—Clarkson Stanfield. 305
§ 26. Importance of particular and individual truth in hill drawing. 306
§ 27. Works of Copley Fielding. His high feeling. 307
§ 28. Works of J. D. Harding and others. 308

Chapter IV.—Of the Foreground.

§  1. What rocks were the chief components of ancient landscape foreground. 309
§  2. Salvator's limestones. The real characters of the rock. Its fractures, and obtuseness of angles. 309
§  3. Salvator's acute angles caused by the meeting of concave curves. 310
§  4. Peculiar distinctness of light and shade in the rocks of nature. 311
§  5. Peculiar confusion of both in the rocks of Salvator. 311
§  6. And total want of any expression of hardness or brittleness. 311
§  7. Instances in particular pictures. 312
§  8. Compared with the works of Stanfield. 312
§  9. Their absolute opposition in every particular. 313
§ 10. The rocks of J. D. Harding. 313
§ 11. Characters of loose earth and soil. 314
§ 12. Its exceeding grace and fulness of feature. 315
§ 13. The ground of Teniers. 315
§ 14. Importance of these minor parts and points. 316
§ 15. The observance of them is the real distinction between the master and the novice. 316
§ 16. Ground of Cuyp. 317
§ 17. And of Claude. 317
§ 18. The entire weakness and childishness of the latter. 318
§ 19. Compared with the work of Turner. 318
§ 20. General features of Turner's foreground. 319
§ 21. Geological structure of his rocks in the Fall of the Tees. 319
§ 22. Their convex surfaces and fractured edges. 319
§ 23. And perfect unity. 320
§ 24. Various parts whose history is told us by the details of the drawing. 321
§ 25. Beautiful instance of an exception to general rules in the Llanthony. 321
§ 26. Turner's drawing of detached blocks of weathered stone. 322
§ 27. And of complicated foreground. 323
§ 28. And of loose soil. 323
§ 29. The unison of all in the ideal foregrounds of the Academy pictures. 324
§ 30. And the great lesson to be received from all. 324

SECTION V.

OF TRUTH OF WATER.

Chapter I.—Of Water, as Painted by the Ancients.

§  1. Sketch of the functions and infinite agency of water. 325
§  2. The ease with which a common representation of it may be given. The impossibility of a faithful one. 325
§  3. Difficulty of properly dividing the subject. 326
§  4. Inaccuracy of study of water-effect among all painters. 326
§  5. Difficulty of treating this part of the subject. 328
§  6. General laws which regulate the phenomena of water. First, The imperfection of its reflective surface. 329
§  7. The inherent hue of water modifies dark reflections, and does not affect right ones. 330
§  8. Water takes no shadow. 331
§  9. Modification of dark reflections by shadow. 332
§ 10. Examples on the waters of the Rhone. 333
§ 11. Effect of ripple on distant water. 335
§ 12. Elongation of reflections by moving water. 335
§ 13. Effect of rippled water on horizontal and inclined images. 336
§ 14. To what extent reflection is visible from above. 336
§ 15. Deflection of images on agitated water. 337
§ 16. Necessity of watchfulness as well as of science. Licenses, how taken by great men. 337
§ 17. Various licenses or errors in water painting of Claude, Cuyp, Vandevelde. 339
§ 18. And Canaletto. 341
§ 19. Why unpardonable. 342
§ 20. The Dutch painters of sea. 343
§ 21. Ruysdael, Claude, and Salvator. 344
§ 22. Nicolo Poussin. 345
§ 23. Venetians and Florentines. Conclusion. 346

chapter II.—Of Water, as Painted by the Moderns.

§  1. General power of the moderns in painting quiet water. The lakes of Fielding. 348
§  2. The calm rivers of De Wint, J. Holland, &c. 348
§  3. The character of bright and violent falling water. 349
§  4. As given by Nesfield. 349
§  5. The admirable water-drawing of J. D. Harding. 350
§  6. His color; and painting of sea. 350
§  7. The sea of Copley Fielding. Its exceeding grace and rapidity. 351
§  8. Its high aim at character. 351
§  9. But deficiency in the requisite quality of grays. 352
§ 10. Variety of the grays of nature. 352
§ 11. Works of Stanfield. His perfect knowledge and power. 353
§ 12. But want of feeling. General sum of truth presented by modern art. 353

Chapter III.—Of Water, as Painted by Turner.

§  1. The difficulty of giving surface to smooth water. 355
§  2. Is dependent on the structure of the eye, and the focus by which the reflected rays are perceived. 355
§  3. Morbid clearness occasioned in painting of water by distinctness of reflections. 356
§  4. How avoided by Turner. 357
§  5. All reflections on distant water are distinct. 357
§  6. The error of Vandevelde. 358
§  7. Difference in arrangement of parts between the reflected object and its image. 359
§  8. Illustrated from the works of Turner. 359
§  9. The boldness and judgment shown in the observance of it. 360
§ 10. The texture of surface in Turner's painting of calm water. 361
§ 11. Its united qualities. 361
§ 12. Relation of various circumstances of past agitation, &c., by the most trifling incidents, as in the Cowes. 363
§ 13. In scenes on the Loire and Seine. 363
§ 14. Expression of contrary waves caused by recoil from shore. 364
§ 15. Various other instances. 364
§ 16. Turner's painting of distant expanses of water.—Calm, interrupted by ripple. 365
§ 17. And rippled, crossed by sunshine. 365
§ 18. His drawing of distant rivers. 366
§ 19. And of surface associated with mist. 367
§ 20. His drawing of falling water, with peculiar expression of weight. 367
§ 21. The abandonment and plunge of great cataracts. How given by him. 368
§ 22. Difference in the action of water, when continuous and when interrupted. The interrupted stream fills the hollows of its bed. 369
§ 23. But the continuous stream takes the shape of its bed. 370
§ 24. Its exquisite curved lines. 370
§ 25. Turner's careful choice of the historical truth. 370
§ 26. His exquisite drawing of the continuous torrent in the Llanthony Abbey. 371
§ 27. And of the interrupted torrent in the Mercury and Argus. 372
§ 28. Various cases. 372
§ 29. Sea painting. Impossibility of truly representing foam. 373
§ 30. Character of shore-breakers, also inexpressible. 374
§ 31. Their effect how injured when seen from the shore. 375
§ 32. Turner's expression of heavy rolling sea. 376
§ 33. With peculiar expression of weight. 376
§ 34. Peculiar action of recoiling waves. 377
§ 35. And of the stroke of a breaker on the shore. 377
§ 36. General character of sea on a rocky coast given by Turner in the Land's End. 378
§ 37. Open seas of Turner's earlier time. 379
§ 38. Effect of sea after prolonged storm. 380
§ 39. Turner's noblest work, the painting of the deep open sea in the Slave Ship. 382
§ 40. Its united excellences and perfection as a whole. 383

SECTION VI.

OF TRUTH OF VEGETATION.—CONCLUSION.

Chapter I.—Of Truth of Vegetation.

§  1. Frequent occurrence of foliage in the works of the old masters. 384
§  2. Laws common to all forest trees. Their branches do not taper, but only divide. 385
§  3. Appearance of tapering caused by frequent buds. 385
§  4. And care of nature to conceal the parallelism. 386
§  5. The degree of tapering which may be represented as continuous. 386
§  6. The trees of Gaspar Poussin. 386
§  7. And of the Italian school generally, defy this law. 387
§  8. The truth, as it is given by J. D. Harding. 387
§  9. Boughs, in consequence of this law, must diminish where they divide. Those of the old masters often do not. 388
§ 10. Boughs must multiply as they diminish. Those of the old masters do not. 389
§ 11. Bough-drawing of Salvator. 390
§ 12. All these errors especially shown in Claude's sketches, and concentrated in a work of G. Poussin's. 391
§ 13. Impossibility of the angles of boughs being taken out of them by wind. 392
§ 14. Bough-drawing of Titian. 392
§ 15. Bough-drawing of Turner. 394
§ 16. Leafage. Its variety and symmetry. 394
§ 17. Perfect regularity of Poussin. 395
§ 18. Exceeding intricacy of nature's foliage. 396
§ 19. How contradicted by the tree-patterns of G. Poussin. 396
§ 20. How followed by Creswick. 397
§ 21. Perfect unity in nature's foliage. 398
§ 22. Total want of it in Both and Hobbima. 398
§ 23. How rendered by Turner. 399
§ 24. The near leafage of Claude. His middle distances are good. 399
§ 25. Universal termination of trees in symmetrical curves. 400
§ 26. Altogether unobserved by the old masters. Always given by Turner. 401
§ 27. Foliage painting on the Continent. 401
§ 28. Foliage of J. D. Harding. Its deficiencies. 402
§ 29. His brilliancy of execution too manifest. 403
§ 30. His bough-drawing, and choice of form. 404
§ 31. Local color, how far expressible in black and white, and with what advantage. 404
§ 32. Opposition between great manner and great knowledge. 406
§ 33. Foliage of Cox, Fielding, and Cattermole. 406
§ 34. Hunt and Creswick. Green, how to be rendered expressive of light, and offensive if otherwise. 407
§ 35. Conclusion. Works of J. Linnel and S. Palmer. 407

Chapter II.—General remarks respecting the Truth of Turner.

§  1. No necessity of entering into discussion of architectural truth. 409
§  2. Extreme difficulty of illustrating or explaining the highest truth. 410
§  3. The positive rank of Turner is in no degree shown in the foregoing pages, but only his relative rank. 410
§  4. The exceeding refinement of his truth. 411
§  5. There is nothing in his works which can be enjoyed without knowledge. 411
§  6. And nothing which knowledge will not enable us to enjoy. 412
§  7. His former rank and progress. 412
§  8. Standing of his present works. Their mystery is the consequence of their fulness. 413

Chapter III.—Conclusion.—Modern Art and Modern Criticism.

§  1. The entire prominence hitherto given to the works of one artist caused only by our not being able to take cognizance of character. 414
§  2. The feelings of different artists are incapable of full comparison. 415
§  3. But the fidelity and truth of each are capable of real comparison. 415
§  4. Especially because they are equally manifested in the treatment of all subjects. 415
§  5. No man draws one thing well, if he can draw nothing else. 416
§  6. General conclusions to be derived from our past investigation. 417
§  7. Truth, a standard of all excellence. 417
§  8. Modern criticism. Changefulness of public taste. 418
§  9. Yet associated with a certain degree of judgment. 418
§ 10. Duty of the press. 418
§ 11. Qualifications necessary for discharging it. 418
§ 12. General incapability of modern critics. 419
§ 13. And inconsistency with themselves. 419
§ 14. How the press may really advance the cause of art. 420
§ 15. Morbid fondness at the present day for unfinished works. 420
§ 16. By which the public defraud themselves. 421
§ 17. And in pandering to which, artists ruin themselves. 421
§ 18. Necessity of finishing works of art perfectly. 421
§ 19. Sketches not sufficiently encouraged. 422
§ 20. Brilliancy of execution or efforts at invention not to be tolerated in young artists. 422
§ 21. The duty and after privileges of all students. 423
§ 22. Necessity among our greater artists of more singleness of aim. 423
§ 23. What should be their general aim. 425
§ 24. Duty of the press with respect to the works of Turner. 427