ches of cool colour on a
bush at one corner of the warm side of the picture. The general tone of
the work is of a low, deep hue, so that even the cool tints are not cold
or raw, but a deep-toned brightness pervades the whole. Through the dark
grey sky, that seems to descend to overshadow the group, a gleam of
light darts upon the scene, as a connecting link between heaven and
earth, and giving force and truth to the expression of Elizabeth, when
she pronounces the words, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb." The light that shoots through the gloom has
roused a pea-hen and chicks, who shake off their sleep as if it was the
dawn of day.

This is a very imperfect description, but will, nevertheless, serve
to show the fine feeling and deep intent of the genius of Rembrandt.
To extend this investigation further would be perhaps superfluous,
did we not know that, even in our own time, doubts are entertained of
the proper introduction of pictorial arrangements of chiaro-scuro and
colour; but the grand style, like all other modes of portraying a work,
must be made subservient to affecting the feelings of the spectator. I
shall only bring two pictures in contrast to elucidate this principle
still further--"The Burning of the Books at Ephesus," by Sebastian
Bourdon; and "The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence," by Titian. As Bourdon has
been considered the French Raffaelle, it is but fair that he should be
taken as a follower of that school, devoted to composition and correct
drawing, to the absence of all inferior qualities; the consequence is,
he has represented the scene in mid-day, where the flames are red
without extending their influence to surrounding objects; consequently,
they are not luminous, nor conveying the idea of destruction. Titian,
on the contrary, has chosen the darkness of night to represent the
horrors of the martyrdom--the red burning light of the living coal
conveys a tenfold force to the torments of the saint, and the very
reality of the colour gives a corresponding truth to the scene, which
takes it completely out of the regions of apocrypha, and stamps it with
the character of Holy Writ. The descent of the cool light from heaven
upon the scorching body of St. Lawrence is like a rush of water to
counteract his sufferings, and give him a confidence in his future
reward, which the spectator fully enters into. These are the triumphs
that appropriate chiaro-scuro and colour achieve for