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

LIST OF PLATES TO VOLUME I.

  Page.
Casa Contarini Fasan, Venice 111
From a drawing by Ruskin.
The Dogana, and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice 136
From a painting by Turner.
Okehampton Castle 258
From a painting by Turner.
Port Ruysdael 377
From a painting by Turner.





MODERN PAINTERS

VOLUME II.

CONTAINING PART III., SECTIONS I. AND II. OF THE IMAGINATIVE AND THEORETIC FACULTIES.

SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.

PART III.

OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY.

SECTION I.

OF THE THEORETIC FACULTY.

Chapter I.-Of the Rank and Relations of the Theoretic Faculty.

    page
§  1. With what care the subject is to be approached. 1
§  2. And of what importance considered. 2
§  3. The doubtful force of the term "utility". 3
§  4. Its proper sense. 4
§  5. How falsely applied in these times. 4
§  6. The evil consequences of such interpretation. How connected with national power. 5
§  7. How to be averted. 6
§  8. Division of the pursuits of men into subservient and objective. 8
§  9. Their relative dignities. 10
§ 10. How reversed through erring notions of the contemplative and imaginative faculties. 10
§ 11. Object of the present section. 11

Chapter II.-Of the Theoretic Faculty as concerned with Pleasures of Sense.

§  1. Explanation of the term "theoretic". 12
§  2. Of the differences of rank in pleasures of sense. 12
§  3. Use of the terms Temperate and Intemperate. 13
§  4. Right use of the term "intemperate". 13
§  5. Grounds of inferiority in the pleasures which are subjects of intemperance. 14
§  6. Evidence of higher rank in pleasures of sight and hearing. 15
§  7. How the lower pleasures may be elevated in rank. 16
§  8. Ideas of beauty how essentially moral. 17
§  9. How degraded by heartless reception. 17
§ 10. How exalted by affection. 18

Chapter III.-Of Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Impressions of Sense.

§  1. By what test is the health of the perceptive faculty to be determined? 19
§  2. And in what sense may the terms Right and Wrong be attached to its conclusions? 20
§  3. What power we have over impressions of sense. 21
§  4. Depends on acuteness of attention. 21
§  5. Ultimate conclusions universal. 22
§  6. What duty is attached to this power over impressions of sense. 22
§  7. How rewarded. 23
§  8. Especially with respect to ideas of beauty. 23
§  9. Errors induced by the power of habit. 24
§ 10. The necessity of submission in early stages of judgment. 24
§ 11. The large scope of matured judgment. 25
§ 12. How distinguishable from false taste. 25
§ 13. The danger of a spirit of choice. 26
§ 14. And criminality. 27
§ 15. How certain conclusions respecting beauty are by reason demonstrable. 27
§ 16. With what liabilities to error. 28
§ 17. The term "beauty" how limitable in the outset. Divided into typical and vital. 28

Chapter IV.-Of False Opinions held concerning Beauty.

§  1. Of the false opinion that truth is beauty, and vice versa. 30
§  2. Of the false opinion that beauty is usefulness. Compare Chap. xii. § 5. 31
§  3. Of the false opinion that beauty results from custom. Compare Chap. vi. § 1. 31
§  4. The twofold operation of custom. It deadens sensation, but confirms affection. 31
§  5. But never either creates or destroys the essence of beauty. 32
§  6. Instances. 32
§  7. Of the false opinion that beauty depends on the association of ideas. 33
§  8. Association. Is, 1st, rational. It is of no efficiency as a cause of beauty. 33
§  9. Association accidental. The extent of its influence. 34
§ 10. The dignity of its function. 35
§ 11. How it is connected with impressions of beauty. 36
§ 12. And what caution it renders necessary in the examination of them. 36

Chapter V.-Of Typical Beauty:-First, of Infinity, or the Type of Divine Incomprehensibility.

§  1. Impossibility of adequately treating the subject. 38
§  2. With what simplicity of feeling to be approached. 38
§  3. The child instinct respecting space. 39
§  4. Continued in after life. 40
§  5. Whereto this instinct is traceable. 40
§  6. Infinity how necessary in art. 41
§  7. Conditions of its necessity. 42
§  8. And connected analogies. 42
§  9. How the dignity of treatment is proportioned to the expression of infinity. 43
§ 10. Examples among the Southern schools. 44
§ 11. Among the Venetians. 44
§ 12. Among the painters of landscape. 45
§ 13. Other modes in which the power of infinity is felt. 45
§ 14. The beauty of curvature. 46
§ 15. How constant in external nature. 46
§ 16. The beauty of gradation. 47
§ 17. How found in nature. 47
§ 18. How necessary in Art. 48
§ 19. Infinity not rightly implied by vastness. 49

Chapter VI.-Of Unity, or the Type of the Divine Comprehensiveness.

§  1. The general conception of divine Unity. 50
§  2. The glory of all things is their Unity. 50
§  3. The several kinds of unity. Subjectional. Original. Of sequence, and of membership. 51
§  4 Unity of membership. How secured. 52
§  5. Variety. Why required. 53
§  6. Change, and its influence on beauty. 54
§  7. The love of change. How morbid and evil. 55
§  8. The conducing of variety towards unity of subjection. 55
§  9. And towards unity of sequence. 57
§ 10. The nature of proportion. 1st, of apparent proportion. 57
§ 11. The value of apparent proportion in curvature. 60
§ 12. How by nature obtained. 61
§ 13. Apparent proportion in melodies of line. 61
§ 14. Error of Burke in this matter. 62
§ 15. Constructive proportion. Its influence in plants. 63
§ 16. And animals. 64
§ 17. Summary. 64

Chapter VII.-Of Repose, or the Type of Divine Permanence.

§  1. Universal feeling respecting the necessity of repose in art. Its sources. 65
§  2. Repose how expressed in matter. 66
§  3. The necessity to repose of an implied energy. 66
§  4. Mental repose, how noble. 67
§  5. Its universal value as a test of art. 68
§  6. Instances in the Laocoon and Theseus. 69
§  7. And in altar tombs. 70