de dies away
like Smoak into an easy Shade. But you should always remember, that no
Superficie should ever be made so white that you cannot make it still
brighter: Even in Painting the whitest Cloaths you should abstain from
coming near the strongest of that Colour; because the Painter has
nothing but White wherewith to imitate the Polish of the most shining
Superficie whatsoever, as I know of none but Black with which he can
represent the utmost Shade and Obscurity of Night. For this Reason, when
he paints a white Habit, he should take one of the four Kinds of Colours
that are clear and open; and so again in painting any black Habit, let
him use another Extream, but not absolute Black, as for Instance, the
Colour of the Sea where it is very deep, which is extreamly dark. In a
Word, this Composition of Black and White has so much Power, that when
practised with Art and Method, it is capable of representing in Painting
the Superficie either of Gold or of Silver, and even of the clearest
Glass. Those Painters, therefore, are greatly to be condemned, who make
use of White immoderately and of Black without Judgment; for which
reason I could wish that the Painters were obliged to buy their White at
a greater Price than the most costly Gems, and that both White and
Black were to be made of those Pearls which Cleopatra dissolved in
Vinegar; that they might be more chary of it.

_Leon Battista Alberti._

[Illustration: _Signorelli_ THE MUSIC OF PAN _Hanfstaengl_]

CXLIV

A word as to colour. One can only give warnings against possible faults;
it is clearly impossible to teach colour by words, even ever so little
of it, though it can be taught in a workshop, at least partially. Well,
I should say, be rather restrained than over-luxurious in colour, or you
weary the eye. Do not attempt over-refinements in colour, but be frank
and simple. If you look at the pieces of colouring that most delight you
in ornamental work, as, _e.g._ a Persian carpet, or an illuminated book
of the Middle Ages, and analyse its elements, you will, if you are not
used to the work, be surprised at the simplicity of it, the few tints
used, the modesty of the tints, and therewithal the clearness and
precision of all boundary lines. In all fine flat colouring there are
regular systems of dividing colour from colour. Above all, don't attempt
iridescent blendings of colour, which look like decomposition. They are
about as much as possible the reverse of u