ater.

There is, however, yet another peculiarity in Turner's painting of
smooth water, which, though less deserving of admiration, as being
merely a mechanical excellence, is not less wonderful than its other
qualities, nor less unique--a peculiar texture, namely, given to the
most delicate tints of the surface, when there is little reflection from
anything except sky or atmosphere, and which, just at the points where
other painters are reduced to paper, gives to the surface of Turner the
greatest appearance of substantial liquidity. It is impossible to say
how it is produced; it looks like some modification of body color; but
it certainly is not body color used as by other men, for I have seen
this expedient tried over and over again without success; and it is
often accompanied by crumbling touches of a dry brush, which never could
have been put upon body color, and which could not have shown through
underneath it. As a piece of mechanical excellence, it is one of the
most remarkable things in the works of the master; and it brings the
truth of his water-painting up to the last degree of perfection, often
rendering those passages of it the most attractive and delightful, which
from their delicacy and paleness of tint, would have been weak and
papery in the hands of any other man. The best instance of it I can
give, is, I think, the distance of the Devonport with the Dockyards.

Sec. 11. Its united qualities.

After all, however, there is more in Turner's painting of water surface
than any philosophy of reflection, or any peculiarity of means, can
account for or accomplish; there is a might and wonder about it which
will not admit of our whys and hows. Take, for instance, the picture of
the Sun of Venice going to Sea, of 1843, respecting which, however,
there are one or two circumstances which may as well be noted besides
its water-painting. The reader, if he has not been at Venice, ought to
be made aware that the Venetian fishing-boats, almost without exception,
carry canvas painted with bright colors, the favorite design for the
centre being either a cross or a large sun with many rays, the favorite
colors being red, orange, and black, blue occurring occasionally. The
radiance of these sails and of the bright and grotesque vanes at the
mast-heads under sunlight is beyond all painting, but it is strange
that, of constant occurrence as these boats are on all the lagoons,
Turner alone should have availed himself of