CH. IV THE LAMP OF BEAUTY 181

or defined into a square or circle. The¹ most exquisite harmonies may be composed of these simple elements: some soft and full of flushed and melting spaces of colour; others piquant and sparkling, or deep and rich, formed of close groups of the fiery fragments: perfect and lovely proportion may be exhibited in the relation of their quantities, infinite invention in their disposition: but, in all cases, their shape will be effective only as it determines their quantity, and regulates their operation on each other; points or edges of one being introduced between breadths of others, and so on. Triangular and barred forms are therefore convenient, or others the simplest possible; leaving the pleasure of the spectator to be taken in the colour, and in that only. Curved outlines, especially if refined, deaden the colour, and confuse the mind. Even in figure painting the greatest colourists have either melted their outline away, as often Correggio and Rubens; or purposely made their masses of ungainly shape, as Titian; or placed their brightest hues in costume, where they could get quaint patterns, as Veronese, and especially Angelico, with whom, however, the absolute virtue of colour is secondary to grace of line. Hence, he never uses the blended hues of Correggio, like those on the wing of the little Cupid, in the

¹ [In place of the text from this point down to the words in § 40, “may then be thus expressed,” the MS. has a rejected paragraph as follows:-

“Of these forms architecture can only obtain the clouded and stained arrangements by employing variegated stones. No human hand can cloud colour, except by actual stippling. Taddeo Gaddi and Orcagna tried it often, failing signally, as in the picture by the former in the Academy of Florence. The pedestal of the throne of the Madonna in the picture by Fra Angelico in the Louvre is another wonderful instance of failure. Besides, the practice has been before reprobated for its dishonesty [above, p. 72]. We are therefore limited to the case of variegated marbles and of patterns terminated by severe or simple lines, varying either the flat surfaces of wall or the contours of figures and sculpture in a system not concurrent with their forms, as in ornamental borders of dresses, etc. To these modes of ornament we have to add the conditions intermediate between colouring and carving of monochrom design, and thus I think we shall arrive at the following most prudent disposition of our means of effect.”

On this passage being struck out a note was added thus:-

“Introduce here about painted windows and cardinals’ hats, Florence mosaic, Doge’s palace pattern.”

The picture by Taddeo Gaddi (now commonly assigned to Niccolò di Piero or his son) is an Entombment. In his Florentine note-book of 1845 Ruskin refers to the “gaudily painted marbles of the tomb.” The Fra Angelico in the Louvre is “The Coronation of the Virgin.”]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]