I will instance a bad effect from such proximity. A Gobelins tapestry, after Laurent, represents a genius armed with a torch, near which is a gilt altar, executed in yellow silk and wool, all of which are entirely eclipsed by the metallic brilliancy of the gilt bronzes profusely spread over the mahogany frame of the tapestry. This may convince us that the richness of a frame may not only be a fault against art, but also against common sense. 449. Bronze frames which have but little yellow brilliancy do not injure the effect of an oil picture which represents a scene lighted by artificial light, such as that of candles, torches, a conflagration, &c. 450. When black frames, such as ebony, detach themselves sufficiently from an oil painting, they are favourable to large subjects; but whenever they are used, it is necessary to see whether the browns of the painting or drawing which are contiguous, do not lose too much of their vigour. 451. A grey frame is favourable to many landscape scenes painted in oil, particularly when the picture having a dominant colour, we take a grey lightly tinted with the complementary of that colour. 452. Gilt frames accord perfectly with black engravings and lithographs, when we take the precaution of leaving a certain extent of white paper round the subject. 453. To conclude. The rule to be followed in assorting a frame to a picture is, that its colour, brightness, and ornaments also, injure neither the colours, nor the shadows, nor the lights of the picture, nor the ornaments which it represents. When we propose to put a border between the frame and an engraving, plain or coloured, we must take into consideration,— 1. The effect of the height of tone of this border upon the different tones of the design. 2. The effect of the complementary of the colour of the border upon the colour of the design. 3. The intensity of the diffused light which is considered most suitable to light the design. Because for a given border the mutual relations between the browns, the half-tints, the lights and the whites, change with the intensity of the daylight, and change more for a given composition with certain borders than with others. A composition of small or medium size may be painted so that the artist himself will do well to choose the frame best adapted to it, and to paint up those parts of his picture which are contiguous to it. (See also 483.) ON THE GENERAL DECORATION OF THE INTERIORS OF CHURCHES. I now resume this subject, no longer to treat of it relatively to a given architectonic form, but to consider it under the most general point of view.