9. Grey with sombre colours and broken tones of luminous colours produces harmonies of analogy, not so vigorous as those with black. It separates colours which do not assort well together.

ON THE SELECTION OF THE KIND OF HARMONY FOR A GIVEN OBJECT.

In proceeding to the selection of an assortment of coloured objects, we have to take into consideration suitability or appropriateness to the object in view.

Where the greatest brilliancy and splendour are desired, we resort to the contrast produced by complementary colours. In the selection of flowers to form a bouquet, or the furnishing of a palace, the principle is the same; we arrange the colours so that the greatest contrast both in tone and in the quality of the colours employed is produced.

Any one familiar with the law of Contrast will attain this aim with better success, even with inferior colours, than another ignorant of the law could obtain with the most brilliant colours.

But where the artist is free to choose, he will consider the aspect of the apartment, and whether it is to be used by daylight or artificial light. A room with a cold northern aspect, used in the daytime, should be furnished with objects of light warm tones; while in a room with a southern aspect, light hues of sombre colours may be advantageously employed.

He must never lose sight of the effect of contrast of tone. Thus, in a room papered with the deep crimson paper so commonly employed, the tone is so deep, that it forms a strong contrasting background to all light-coloured objects placed in it; but dark-coloured objects are lost for want of relief. In such a paper, contrast of colour goes almost for nothing, as a blue or a green paper, of the same depth of tone, would produce nearly the same effect.

In rooms that are feebly lighted, and chiefly by diffused daylight, light tones of sombre colours, or luminous colours, are preferable for covering the walls; but then other coloured portions of the fittings should be coloured in analogous harmony, and violent contrast avoided. In undertaking to apply the principles laid down by M. Chevreul, most persons overlook the importance of tone, or intensity, but which is of equal importance with colour. A deep tone of a bright peagreen, of an orange, or of a red, may produce a very crude, vulgar effect, when light tones of the same colours would do the contrary.

The uneducated eye is fond of glaring colours, and we frequently see, even upon "well-dressed persons," the most incongruous assortment of brilliant luminous colours. Now, in costume, the pure luminous colours should be used sparingly to produce a good effect; a bright-coloured trimming upon a sombre-coloured garment is much

e

more effective than if the garment itself were of a deep tone of a luminous colour. The superior taste of the French ladies appears to consist in their selection of the light tones of colours for the principal articles of their costume, and in reserving the deep tones for the accessories.

Very pleasing effects may be produced by adopting the Harmony of Analogous Colours.

Suppose a room to be furnished in blue, or red, or green, we may proceed with all the tones of one hue of green, for instance, or mingle the tones, of nearly equal intensity, of the various blue and yellow greens that lie on each side of pure green. The distribution of these in the room will require careful consideration, but probably the most satisfactory effect will be attained by taking the lightest tones and brightest hues for the walls, and the deepest for the carpet. The colour of the wood for the chairs, &c., will contrast sufficiently to secure distinct relief. The curtains and the furniture may be of intermediate quality of colour, and the effect will be greatly enhanced by the introduction of white.

In the selection of greens for the furniture of chairs, sofas, &c., the error is usually to select them too yellow, by which the colour of the wood, mahogany or walnut, is injured; deep tones of yellowish green, or blue greens, harmonise better.

Figured patterns, when large, so that the pattern is cut unevenly, have a very bad effect, yet we see some of the most expensive furniture made up of such materials. As we have said, the chief error in furnishing consists in the idea that the most brilliant and showy colours produce the best effect; but the result is just the contrary.

But the eye may become so vitiated with the constant view of discordant or inharmonious assortments of colours, as to dislike an harmonious arrangement when presented to it. This, however, should not divert the artist, even when he works against his better judgment, from attempting to correct the error arising from false or perverted tastes. He has great resources in his power, by judicious selection of even incongruous materials, so as not to increase the ill effect; and by the employment of white, or even of the forbidden colours in minimum quantities, he may fulfil his instructions in spirit, if not to the letter.

It is in the flower-garden that the colourist may revel in the resources of colour; and it is much to be regretted that our public gardens show no signs that their cultivators are acquainted with the laws of Contrast of Colour.

The artist must not omit to take into consideration the influence of form, size, and suitability, when proceeding to carry out the principles of Contrast.

ON

THE LAW

OF

SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST OF COLOURS,

AND ITS

APPLICATIONS IN THE ARTS.

PART I.

THEORETICAL.

B

PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

FIRST SECTION. ON THE LAW OF SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST OF COLOURS, AND ITS DEMONSTRATION BY EXPERIMENT.

THIRD SECTION.-ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSE TO WHICH

THE PHENOMENA OF CONTRAST OF CO

LOURS WAS REFERRED PREVIOUS TO
THE EXPERIMENTS OF THE AUTHOR.

INTRODUCTION.

(1.) It is necessary, in the first place, to explain some of the optical principles which relate,

Firstly, to the law of Simultaneous Contrast of Colours; and

Secondly, to the applications of this law in the various arts which make use of coloured materials to attract the eye. (2.) A ray of solar light is composed of an indeterminate number of differently-coloured rays; and since, on the one hand, it is impossible to distinguish each particular one, and as, on the other, they do not all differ equally from one another, they have been distributed into groups, to which are applied the terms red rays, orange rays, yellow rays, green rays, blue rays, indigo rays, and violet rays; but it must not be supposed that all the rays comprised in the same group, red for instance, are identical in colour; on the contrary, they are generally considered as differing, more or less, among themselves, although we recognise the impression they separately produce as comprised in that which we ascribe to red.

(3.) When light is reflected by an opaque white body, it is not modified in proportion to the differently-coloured rays which constitute white light; only,

A. If this body is not polished, each point of its surface must be considered as dispersing, in every direction through the surrounding space, the white light which falls upon it; so that the point becomes visible to an eye placed in the direction of one of these rays. We may easily conceive that the image of a body in a given position, is composed of the sum of the physical points which reflect to the eye so placed, a portion of the light that each point radiates.