Goethe's Theory of ColoursGoethe, Johann Wolfgang von
Philosophy
Goethe's Theory of Colours
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von
Color
[8] Zanetti, "Della Pittura Veneziana," marks the progress of the early
Venetian painters by the gradual use of the warm outline. There are
some mosaics in St. Mark's which have the effect of flesh-colour, but
on examination, the only red colour used is found to be in the outlines
and markings. Many of the drawings of the old masters, heightened with
red in the shadows, have the same effect. In these drawings the artists
judiciously avoided colouring the lips and cheeks much, for this would
only have betrayed the want of general colour, as is observable when
statues are so treated.
[9] Andrea di Luigi, called L'Ingegno, and Niccolo di Fuligno, are
cited as the most prominent examples. See Rumohr, "Italienische
Forschungen." Perogino himself occasionally adopted a very glowing
colour.
The early Italian schools which adhered most to the Byzantine types
appear to have been also the most remarkable for depth, or rather
darkness, of colour. This fidelity to customary representation was
sometimes, as in the schools of Umbria, and to a certain extent in
those of Siena and Bologna, the result of a religious veneration for
the ancient examples; in others, as in Venice, the circumstance of
frequent intercourse with the Levant is also to be taken into the
account. The Greek pictures of the Madonna, not to mention other
representations, were extremely dark, in exaggerated conformity,
it is supposed, with the tradition respecting her real complexion
(see D'Agincourt, vol. iv. p. 1); a belief which obtained so late as
Lomazzo's time, for, speaking of the Madonna, he observes, "Leggesi
però che fu alquanto bruna." Giotto, who with the independence of
genius betrayed a certain contempt for these traditions, failed perhaps
to unite improvement with novelty when he substituted a pale white
flesh-colour for the traditional brown. Some specimens of his works,
still existing at Padua, present a remarkable contrast in this respect
with the earliest productions of the Venetian and Paduan artists. His
works at Florence differ as widely from those of the earlier painters
of Tuscany. This peculiarity was inherited by his imitators, and at
one time almost characterised the Florentine school. Leon Battista
Alberti was not perhaps the first who objected to it ("Vorrei io
che dai pittori fosse comperato il color bianco assai più caro che
le presiosissime gemme."--_Della Pittura_, I. ii.) The attachment
of Fra Bartolommeo to the grave character of the Christian types is
exemplified in his deep colouring, as well as in other respects.
[10] Holland might be excepted, and in Holland similar causes may have
had a similar influence.
[11] Local colour; literally, the _blot_.
[12] Zanetti ventures to single out the picture of Tobit and the Angel
in S. Marziale as the first example of Titian's own manner, and in
which a direct imitation of Giorgione is no longer apparent. In this
picture the lights are cool and the blood-tint very effective.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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