e strong contrasts of colour and strong contrasts of tone in the same
picture: it is too violent.

If you have strong contrasts of colour, the contrasts of tone between
them must be small. The Japanese and Chinese often make the most
successful use of violent contrasts of colour by being careful that they
shall be of the same tone value.

And again, where you have strong contrasts of tone, such as Rembrandt
was fond of, you cannot successfully have strong contrasts of colour as
well. Reynolds, who was fond both of colour and strong tone contrast,
had to compromise, as he tells us in his lectures, by making the
shadows all the same brown colour, to keep a harmony in his work.

[Illustration: Plate XLVI.

OLYMPIA. MANET (Louvre)

A further development of the composition formula illustrated by
Correggio's "Venus". Added force is given by lighting with low direct
light elimination half-tones.

_Photo Neurdein_]

There is some analogy between straight lines and flat tones, and curved
lines and gradated tones. And a great deal that was said about the
rhythmic significance of these lines will apply equally well here. What
was said about long vertical and horizontal lines conveying a look of
repose and touching the serious emotional notes, can be said of large
flat tones. The feeling of infinity suggested by a wide blue sky without
a cloud, seen above a wide bare plain, is an obvious instance of this.
And for the same harmonic cause, a calm evening has so peaceful and
infinite an expression. The waning light darkens the land and increases
the contrast between it and the sky, with the result that all the
landscape towards the west is reduced to practically one dark tone,
cutting sharply against the wide light of the sky.

And the graceful charm of curved lines swinging in harmonious rhythm
through a composition has its analogy in gradated tones. Watteau and
Gainsborough, those masters of charm, knew this, and in their most
alluring compositions the tone-music is founded on a principle of
tone-gradations, swinging and interlacing with each other in harmonious
rhythm throughout the composition. Large, flat tones, with their more
thoughtful associations are out of place here, and are seldom if ever
used. In their work we see a world where the saddening influences of
profound thought and its expression are far away. No deeper notes are
allowed to mar the gaiety of this holiday world. Watteau created a dream
country of his