omitted, all the difficulty ceases; and a
common sign-painter that lays his colours smooth, instantly becomes, in
point of colouring, a Rubens, a Titian, or a Correggio.

_Hogarth._

CLIII

COPY ON CANVAS IN OIL OF THE DORIA CORREGGIO IN THE PALAZZO PASQUA

It seems painted in (their) juicy, fat colour, the parts completed one
after another upon the bare pannel, the same as frescoes upon the
flattened wall. Simplicity of tint and of colour prevails; no staining
or mottled varieties: the flesh, both in light and shadow, is produced
by one mixed up tint so melted that no mark of the brush is seen. There
is here no scratching or scumbling--no repetitions; all seems prepared
at once for the glaze, which, simple as the painting is, gives to it
with fearless hand the richness and glow of Correggio. All imitations of
this master are complicated compared to this, and how complicated and
abstruse does it make all attempts of the present day to give similar
effects in colouring! Here is one figure in outline upon the prepared
board, with even the finger-marks in colour of the painter himself. Here
is the preparation of the figures painted up at once, and, strange to
say, with solid and even sunny colours. Here are the heads of a woman
and of a naked child, completed with the full zest and tone of
Correggio, in texture fine, and in expression rich and luxurious, and as
fine an example of his powers as any part to be found in his most
celebrated work.

_Wilkie._

CLIV

In a modern exhibition pictures lose by tone at first glance, but in the
Louvre pictures gained, and Titian, Correggio, Rubens, Cuyp, and
Rembrandt combated everything by the depth of their tones; and one still
hopes that, when toning is successfully done, it will prevail.

You have now got your exhibition open in Edinburgh: do you find tone and
depth an advantage there or not? Painting bright and raw, if one can
find in his heart to lower and glaze it afterwards, is always
satisfactory; but unless strength can be combined with this, it will
never be the fashion in our days.

_Wilkie._

CLV

I went into the National Gallery and refreshed myself with a look at the
pictures. One impression I had was of how much more importance the tone
of them is than the actual tint of any part of them. I looked close into
the separate colours and they were all very lovely in their quality--but
the whole colour-effect of a picture then is not very great. It is th