WILKINSON ON COLOR AND TASTE

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 225, 16 December 1859, Page 3

WILKINSON ON COLOR AND TASTE

(From the London Spectator.) Sir Gardner Wilkinson produces in this volume one of the best books which have been written on such a subject. Works on the principles of art aje apt to be too theoretic. The man inqs.t likely to write a work of the kind k\ px-ima fade a theorist j obe'Hyho has b'eenVe'asoned^''of" 'has reasoned liiraself,'into some set of beliefs regarding arsthetics/ and who,, tries to persuade the public ihat things must be so and. so, because he thinks they ought to. be so, fhp tone of the truly artistic mind in this respect is altogether different. It is curious to note how utterly uninterested the born artist mainly is as to the the reason why certain phases or properties of professed art are wrong, and others right, and indeed how stiff hi 3 mind is in apprehending and receiving such propositions even when presented to him. No theory of color or form, no demonstration of the why and the wherefore, makes the slightest impression upon ■him ' He perceives in a moment what it takes the theorist pages or hours to prove: and cjoes not in the least care, to fcnqvy whatmakes the'tnin'g so, but only tlia't so it is.' He' will aVit aright morejftVer? as well as perceive it aright '; but he carinot, tfr will iidt, tell you what has been his principle of actibhi Every now and then, though seldom, a great ■'■.artist" delivers himself of some theoretic; yiews of his own upon art-^as I^eqnardq da Vinci, flpga^thj and I|eynQlds; but the.Ee is probably no jn§tanqe/on record of a gres artist wfyb'concerned f^mself much with the/theories qf other men. They are fqr the critic, the cqnnqis.seqr, an.d the artist qf the second or a lower prefer,

The superiority of Sir Gardner Wilkinson's book over many, others arises in great part from his being imbued with something of the born artist's spirit in this matter. He is especially emphatic in declaring that the eye is the: real arbiter in questions of color, as the ear in those of music; and that an ingenious theory, even though it may be based upon some scientific data, has no claim to guide the perception, unless the perception itself ratifies it. Thus, as regards the oft-preached, harmony of the complementary, colours, he vigorously refuses to admit that two colors--as red green-rraie necessarily harmonjqus to the eye Ipcause complementary to'each other in the composition of white light, or because of the scientific met of the ocular spectrum, They may be scientifically connected, and aesthetically inharmonious. The eye is to be the judge of that: and the eyeirat any rate, Sir Gardner Wilkinson's eye—pronounces that they do not harmonise. The appeal must be made hvthe first instance to perception— the perception of those who have that special gift, a natural eye for1 'cjqlqur—and^ not: "to ! whiph: 'plashes with perceptiqri Ue putout of courti- peyceptiqn has given its verdict is the time.fortheory to analyse and confirm it. We entirely concur in this principle, based as it is on a fair comparative estimate of all the natural facts of the case and not only of a certain train of them, and embodied as it is in the practice of true and unsophisticated art. • As the title indicates, the book consists of three distinct essays, which the author, it may be conjectured, has written separately and unconnectedly fa? djstmgt purposes,, and whjcl} lje nq\v |flV^^isjgiie yqini^^^pQl^nHqgi'tjteijJ' bi'aadthj a^nd

/and" on;.tiie^Jrece^sitij for,a Diffusion of Tasteiamorigiall Classes. With remarks ob Laying ;out Dressed or Geometrical Gardens, ( Ex•Bjplea^'. Good and Bad Taste. Ullustrated by woodcuto and colored plates in,qontar*Bki By..Sir J. Gard-

force. The first is on Color; the second on Taste as it is and as if: should be, whether in reference to color or to form; the third on the arrangement of Gardens..../....... Sir Gardner Wilkinson holds that the English have hitherto shown themselves indifferent to "decorative color; the French are y OUr superiors in decoration, but he will not allow the same in favor of the Germans. The Italians, both in their past works and in their present declicacy of perception, are the tasteful nation among the modern. His observations on color are summed upjn the following axioms,' which we extract, injpreference to some more inviting passages, on account of their intrinsic, value, and their comprehensiveness in ing what his teaching amounts to*.-,

" I have beencareful to point out more than once, certain errors to be avoided in judging of colors and to show What is necessary f6V the study of their harmonious combinations ■;/ and as these cannot be too frequently insisted .''.Upon, I shall repeat some of the most important"' of them under the following heads ' f "1. The eye is the pvoper judge of. color, and the perception of color is a natum gift. "2. We should, abstain from!; theories till the subject is understood." i(l - "■3. .flowers, and r other ornajnents, should be conventional, not direct copies of natural objects; nor should you tread on these^ in carpets, nor walk on the tracery,-of architecture. "4. Tlie three primary colors, blue, red and yellow, which are a."concord, should predominate in ornamentation; yet scarletj'(which is really a compound, color) .generally lopks better than red even with blue and yellow^ ans always so when with blue alone, with which i|. does not assume the same purple hue as does a.red (or a crimson) in juxtaposition with blue, owing to the yellow in the scarlet. v V "5. A fillet of yellow (or some other color when there are many) should be placed between or near to red and blue, to obviate their purple effect. .."... C ■ "6. The two accidental colors do not necessarily harmonise with each other. i "7. Harmony is not limited to similarity: of colors; but thereiis harmony by contrast also; and contrasts are of different<kinds. "8. The effect of the simultaneous contrast of colors is to be considered.. ' "9. The intensity of tohfcs of colors should be equal in the same composition; but a dark and light hue may be used together with good effect. . "10. The quantity of the colors is to be balanced and some may be in a smaller quantity when combined with certain others.

"11. The proper relative position of colors is to be consulted. ' . '

"12. Some colors by candlelight and by daylight have a different effect, and allowance is to be made for this, ; :

*' Id. Colors that accord well, both in their hues and in certain quantities, do not always suit every kind of ornament; and some combinations which suit a carpet;, or a wall, do not answer well for a dress. : \

" 14. In: some compositions, and particularly on the painted walls ofa church, or other building, the colored patterns should not cover the whole space. The eye requires some repose, and is fatigued by any object overloaded with ornament.

«15 f . A great quantity of the 9ame color in one part, and little or none of it to another, are fatal to the general effect and disturb the balance of colors. ';•■; ;

"IQ. Large masses of one single color should not batch the eye; it should receive, at the same moment, the combination of several colors. The patterns should not be too large. Spots and monotonous lines should also be avoided. It is, however, allowable^ have a mass or gound of one color in the centre, and a border of several colors round it.

"17. Bright green may be well introduced to li.hten «p a composition; but not in maasea, except in a ground; and when used in. great quantity it is a sign of an, artificial and debased taste In thqsia coinpo^Uipii^ h^o.wever, which are to be seen n^ostly by, candlelight a greater proportion of green iqay be used. Green as a ground sometimes sqits other colors, which would not accord with it if interlaced together ia a pattern ] but it must be a, ghucoitS: greeq. #}% Qyeyq, a.nd same other neutral (or intermediate) colors, answer well as a ground and soften the abruptness of contrasts (as of black and white), when required. " 19. Two of the primaries may harmonize better with each.other than another two of them; and blue,and red, or blue and yellow, according different ratios. So too there^may be a greater or less degree of relationship between any two of the secondaries; and while orange and green, or orange and purple, are both agreeable in juxtaposition, purple and green are discords. The same difference subsists also between the primaries, and their accidental • (secondary) colors;) blue and oratige most agreeably by contrast \yhich cannot certaiqly be said of red and bluegreen/'

Of the essay on Taste a considerable portion was published in the Builder of 1854 These remarks upon some solecisms of modern decoration following a passage upon the freedom decorative, art both ancient and modern, from false pride and jealousy,—are forcibly put.

"If the advantages arising from this real feeling for the beautiful were better understood at the present day, we should not have decorative art the accidental caprices o? a mere decorator nor depend for so many" articles of use which o'ughfl to be ornamental ujxm the misguided JFancy of an uneducated mechanic; nor should we have the hideous lamps the monstrous tea-urns, or the whole furniture of our tables and of our rpoms which disgrace our civilization. It \s Really surprising that among t^e variety of lamps, te^-urtis, inkstands, cofipeppts, c,ru|et-siands, and sb-called 'ornamental clocks,' we can scarcely meet with one which is tolerable in form. Bjut talent will be rare ainon^g designers so long as few are abje to judge of the effects, of tfyeir qwn. composition qr have an.y n,qtiqn heyQnd v cq'pying from the antique,' because ■ it is antique,' without entering into the feeling of, the original or understanding in what its beauty consists. One therefore, designs a cup or a tazza, and thinks he has produced a real' Pompeian article,' because he is unconscious that a mere repetition of ornament is not a design, and that the whole when finished, having no motive, is utterly unmeaning. This putting together a number of parts to form a whole is indeed the besetting sin of incapable minds, and is too often witnessed in the productions of architects as well as.of those who make ornamental niQcJels; arid instead of the building or other? worn b'e^rig coriceiVed in 'the lmin(l asa .whale;;'of which' the" details &yd the ne'cfcessary accessories, each part is added in'order to'complete the1 design; and as there is no keeping and no necessary connection between them, many a one is -removed, altered, or varied without any reference 'teethe general composition." To these we may add, as in the case of color some filial1 axioms upon taste, " Ohe qf the mqgt impqtyant Rousts., therefore, is~ttf£f taste b^cqme general ainbng all classes. Tfyese tqq a.re essential j that the beautiful be combined in objects every day useful: that proportion, good form, and (when required) harmonious color, be combined in ; objects of every day use; that rare and costly materials be not spared to excellence of design; that good examples be imitated, rather than new designs invented merely for the sake of novelty ; that no designs be made up of parts put together |to form it without reference to their compatibility; that one o t b : ject be not eraplqyjed-'.fov r^qtl^ertof;. ? >"thaii^woi»^l be '|iqt^a.n 03feus.e'iqr !ft fai^ty :desigri^tlWt^he)api'rU,rnot the direct jmi- l Hati'on^ofjnatural objects; be adopted for ornamentation; andrihat the-education of the eye be preferred to a mechanical adhesion to mere rules.

i Subdue your passions, and every duty of Itfe iiiU appear «a»y^

Bread.-—A correspondent of the, Tasmanian Journal of Agriculture and Horticulture* makes the following suggestion:—l believe that wheat, barley, and rye, mixed, in due proportions, say five bushels of wheat, one bushel barley, with one of rye, well ground, would produce a most wholesome nutritious bread. In the northern parts of England an admixture of this sort is much used, being considered most wholesome and beneficial to the health of the people. Many people prefer a breakfast of oatmeal or hasty pudding, some prefer it boiled in milk, suited to the plate with aalt, sugar, or treacle. Oaten cake is an aid at all meals. By these appliances, the price of bread ;. would be kept at a moderate rate, and a cheaper wholesome food would be used, whilst the necessity of economy- in wheaten flour exits.

Novki-ty in Breaking Horses fob Draught. —A friend'who recently witnessed the method employed Mr. J. C. White, at Jonaryan, for breaking horses, which he pronounces to be the most efficaious and devoid of liability to the many accidents too frequently attendant on horse-break-ing, has given us the following description; of it, which, in the absence of a diagram, we will endeavour to explain:—Two pieces of stout scantling, about 5 x 2, and 21 feet long, are placed in the form of the letter V. At the point where the bottom of the letter is formed the ends slightly overlap, and are cheeked on to each. About seven feet from these- wheels a stout piece of timber into the V arms, which thus assumes the form of thelettor A. Between the wheels and this permanent cross-piece is a second, which is not a permanent fixture, but so arranged as to shift easily, when ahorse is to be put in or taken out. These cross-pieces are furnished with staples, runners, and tugs, as the shafts of a cart, but in duplicate, to admit of the horse being put either with his near or off-side towards the wheels. When the horse attempts to rush forward the machine runs round in a circle, and if he attempts to back or sit in his breeching, the machine obeys the impulse immediately, but in the contrary direction. , There is no possibility of his running away, for the pin holds the break to the post; and with, what ever speed he choose to move, there is no danger of an upset. From our friends description it appears that two or three hours, in this novel species of break has an effect on horses analogous to and as effective and permanent as that of Mr. Rarey, the horse appearing to be as equally subdued as under the Rarey influence. We shall be happy to give any of our readers who may desire further explanation respecting the construction of this novel break any information in our power, and show them the rough diagram our informant supplied us with.— North Australian.