n of his principles of colour, I shall now commence upon
that department, fully conscious how high he stands as an artist in that
difficult branch of the art, at the same time aware how feeble words
must be to express adequately the deep-toned richness of Rembrandt's
colouring.

[Illustration: SIX'S BRIDGE]

[Illustration: REMBRANDT'S MILL]

COLOUR.

Perhaps, if we can comprehend a species of coloured chiaro-scuro, or
the addition of colour to the broad and soft principles of light and
shade, we shall be able to form a clear perception of the effects of
Rembrandt's colouring. Indistinctness of tint, such as colours assume
under the influence of twilight, is a strong characteristic of his
manner--the shadows never so dark that a black or blue cannot tell
firmly in the midst of them; with the total absence of all harshness,
from the outlines of objects melting into their adjacent grounds,
or assuming an importance after emerging from a mass of indefinite
corresponding hues. As he has a mass of shadow with a mass of light, so
he has an accumulation of warm colours in opposition to a congregation
of cold--every combination introduced conducing to the great principles
of breadth. When such is the plan upon which a work is laid down, we can
easily perceive how powerfully the smallest touch of positive colour
will tell--as in the midst of stillness a pin falling to the ground
will be heard. Cuyp has this quality in a high degree, only on another
scale--a uniformity of unbroken tone, and in masses of half-tint
only, like a few sparkles of light touches, dealt out with the most
parsimonious pencil, producing a glitter like so many diamonds. This
it is that prevents a work from being heavy, for by their fewness they
require not the aid of black grounds to give them consequence, and by
their being touched upon colours of the same quality, they avoid the
appearance of harshness; in fact, the principles of these two great
artists were the same; only from the general tone of Cuyp's pictures
being light, his strong darks tell with great power, and Rembrandt's
half tints being of a low tone, his high lights become more forcible.
I may here mention not only the breadth of Rembrandt's shadows,
but their peculiar transparency and clearness, loose in the handling,
and filled with air and space, whereas his lights are solid and
firm--possessing not only the characteristics of nature in
distinctiveness, but also in variety; and