and in its completion, to dwell with endless and intricate
precision upon fibers of moss, bells of heath, blades of grass, and
films of lichen. Love like Van Eyck's would separate the fibers as if
they were stems of forest, twine the ribbed grass into fanciful
articulation, shadow forth capes and islands in the variegated film, and
hang the purple bells in counted chiming. A year might pass away, and
the work yet be incomplete; yet would the purpose of the great picture
have been better answered when all had been achieved? or if so, is it to
be wished that a year of the life of Tintoret (could such a thing be
conceived possible) had been so devoted?

134. We have put in as broad and extravagant a view as possible the
difference of object in the two systems of loaded and transparent light;
but it is to be remembered that both are in a certain degree compatible,
and that whatever exclusive arguments may be adduced in favor of the
loaded system apply only to the ultimate stages of the work. The
question is not whether the white ground be expedient in the
commencement--but how far it must of necessity be preserved to the
close? There cannot be the slightest doubt that, whatever the object,
whatever the power of the painter, the white ground, as intensely bright
and perfect as it can be obtained, should be the base of his
operations; that it should be preserved as long as possible, shown
wherever it is possible, and sacrificed only upon good cause. There are
indeed many objects which do not admit of imitation unless the hand have
power of superimposing and modeling the light; but there are others
which are equally unsusceptible of every rendering except that of
transparent color over the pure ground.

It appears from the evidence now produced that there are at least three
distinct systems traceable in the works of good colorists, each having
its own merit and its peculiar application. First, the white ground,
with careful chiaroscuro preparation, transparent color in the middle
tints, and opaque high lights only (Van Eyck). Secondly, white ground,
transparent brown preparation, and solid painting of lights above
(Rubens). Thirdly, white ground, brown preparation, and solid painting
both of lights and shadows above (Titian); on which last method,
indisputably the noblest, we have not insisted, as it has not yet been
examined by Mr. Eastlake. But in all these methods the white ground was
indispensable. It mattered not what tr