been sometimes omitted, as stated at p. 389; when it was
so, we believe that an utter loss of brilliancy must have resulted; but
when it was used, the highest lights must have been raised from it by
opaque color as distinctly by Van Eyck as by Rubens. Rubens' Judgment of
Paris is quoted at [p. 388] as an example of the best use of the
bright gesso ground:--and how in that picture, how in all Rubens' best
pictures, is it used? Over the ground is thrown a transparent glowing
brown tint, varied and deepened in the shadow; boldly over that brown
glaze, and into it, are struck and painted the opaque gray middle tints,
already concealing the ground totally; and above these are loaded the
high lights like gems--note the sparkling strokes on the peacock's
plumes. We believe that Van Eyck's high lights were either, in
proportion to the scale of picture and breadth of handling, as loaded as
these, or, in the degree of their thinness, less brilliant. Was then his
system the same as Rubens'? Not so; but it differed more in the
management of middle tints than in the lights: the main difference was,
we believe, between the careful preparation of the gradations of drawing
in the one, and the daring assumption of massy light in the other. There
are theorists who would assert that their system was the same--but they
forget the primal work, with the point underneath, and all that it
implied of transparency above. Van Eyck secured his drawing in dark,
then threw a pale transparent middle tint over the whole, and recovered
his _highest_ lights; all was _transparent_ except these. Rubens threw a
dark middle tint over the whole at first, and then gave the _drawing_
with opaque gray. All was _opaque_ except the shadows. No slight
difference this, when we reflect on the contrarieties of practice
ultimately connected with the opposing principles; above all on the
eminent one that, as all Van Eyck's color, except the high lights, must
have been equivalent to a glaze, while the great body of _color_ in
Rubens was solid (ultimately glazed occasionally, but not necessarily),
it was possible for Van Eyck to mix his tints to the local hues
required, with far less danger of heaviness in effect than would have
been incurred in the solid painting of Rubens. This is especially
noticed by Mr. Eastlake, with whom we are delighted again to concur:--

* * *

"The practice of using compound tints has not been approved by
colorists; the met