The Analysis of Beauty: Written with a view of fixing the fluctuating ideas of tasteHogarth, William
Philosophy
The Analysis of Beauty: Written with a view of fixing the fluctuating ideas of taste
Hogarth, William
Aesthetics -- Early works to 1800
It is in this manner, then, that nature seems to do her work.--And
now let us see how by art the like appearance may be made and penciled
on the surface of a uniform coloured statue of wax or marble; by
describing which operation we shall still more particularly point out
what is to our present purpose: I mean the reason why the order nature
hath thus made use of should strike us with the idea of beauty; which
by the way, perhaps may be of more use to some painters than they will
care to own.
[Illustration: Fig. 94]
There are but three original colours in painting besides black and
white, viz. red, yellow and blue. Green, and purple, are compounded;
the first of blue and yellow, the latter of red and blue: however these
compounds being so distinctly different from the original colours,
we will rank them as such. Fig. [94 T p. II], represents mixt up, as
on a painter's pallet, scales of these five original colours divided
into seven classes--1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.--4, is the medium, and most
brillant class, being that which will appear a firm red, when those of
5, 6, 7, would deviate into white, and those of 1, 2, 3, would sink
into black, either by twilight or at a moderate distance from the
eye, which shews 4 to be brightest, and a more permanent colour than
the rest. But as white is nearest to light it may be said to be equal
if not superior in value as to beauty, with class 4. Therefore the
classes 5, 6, 7, have also, almost equal beauty with it too, because
what they lose of their brillancy and permanency of colour, they gain
from the white or light; whereas 3, 2, 1, absolutely lose their beauty
by degrees as they approach nearer to black, the representative of
darkness.
Let us then, for distinction and pre-eminence sake, call class 4 of
each colour, _bloom tints_, or if you please, virgin tints, as the
painters call them; and once more recollect, that in the disposition
of colours as well as of forms, variety, simplicity, distinctness,
intricacy, uniformity and quantity, direct in giving beauty to the
colouring of the human frame, especially if we include the face, where
uniformity and strong opposition of tints are required, as in the eyes
and mouth, which call most for our attention. But for the general hue
of flesh now to be described, variety, intricacy and simplicity, are
chiefly required.
The value of the degrees of colour being thus consider'd and ranged in
order upon the pallet, figure 94, let us next apply them to a busto,
fig. [96 R p. II], of white marble, which may be supposed to let every
tint sink into it, like as a drop of ink sinks in and spreads itself
upon course paper, whereby each tint will gradate all around.
[Illustration: Fig. 96]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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