382. The ground of a border contributes greatly to the beauty of the pattern, whether this be of flowers, ornaments, or any other object. As we cannot treat of this influence in an absolute or methodical manner, I shall select a certain number of remarkable facts which I have had occasion to observe, and I shall principally dwell on those from which we can deduce conclusions, which, apparently not flowing from previous observation, might escape many readers, in spite of the great interest they have in knowing them. Besides, the exhibition of these facts will give me occasion to apply the law of contrast to designs presenting many tones of the same scale, and of different hues, and also often of different scales, more or less distant from each other. I shall not treat of simple borders, presenting black or grey designs upon a uniform ground, for I have already spoken of the modifications which in this case black designs undergo (374), and grey designs also (379). 383. The design of a border, either of ornaments, flowers, or any other object, being cut out and pasted upon a white card, designs identical with the preceding, which had been pasted upon cardboard, were then cut out, and placed upon grounds of black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet; then compared, not only by myself, but also by many persons whose eyes are much accustomed to seeing colours. When we had perfectly agreed upon their value, the results were noted as follows:— 1.—BORDER OF EIGHT INCHES IN HEIGHT, REPRESENTING GILT ORNAMENTS UPON DIFFERENT GROUNDS. Plate 15. [Illustration: PLATE XV.] 384. These ornaments, executed by the ordinary processes of paper-staining, contained no particle of metallic gold; yellow, lakes, and orange, of different tones and hues, had been exclusively employed in their production. After having stated the modifications which the painted gilt ornaments experience from the colour of the grounds, I shall indicate those which the metallic gilt ornaments receive comparatively from the same grounds; this comparison presenting results which appear to me interesting. _Black Ground._ 385. Painted gilt ornaments placed upon black ground, compared with the same ornaments placed on a white ground, appear much more distinct than the latter; because the yellows and orange-yellows, colours eminently luminous, and the black ground, which reflects no light, give rise to contrast of tone, which the white ground, essentially luminous, cannot give with the colours which are themselves luminous. (See 53.) We perceive thus, that the colours placed upon black are lowered in tone; but it must be noted that yellows and orange-yellows, far from being weakened (58), would only cause the black to gain in purity. In considering more particularly the effects of two grounds, we see that a black imparts a red to the ornaments, and it is important to remark that the brightness of this red, instead of reddening the yellows, really gilds them. (See 394.)