Combined With Blue Cool And Retiring It Is However More Congenial
:
ON THE PRIMARY, RED.
with yellow than with blue, and thence partakes more of the character of
the former in its effects of warmth, the influence of light and
distance, and action on the eye, by which the power of vision is
diminished on viewing this colour in a strong light. On the other hand,
red appears to deepen in colour rapidly in a declining light as night
comes on, or in shade. These qualities of red give it great importance,
render
it difficult of management, and require it to be generally kept
subordinate in painting. It is therefore rarely used unbroken, as the
ruling or predominating colour, or for toning a picture; on which
account it will always seem detached or insulated, unless repeated and
subordinated. Hence Nature is sparing with her red, employing it with as
much reserve in the decoration of her works as she is profuse in
lavishing green upon them. This latter is of all colours the most
soothing to the eye, and the true contrasting or harmonizing equivalent
of red, in the proportional quantity of eleven to five, according to
surface or intensity: being, when the red inclines to scarlet or orange,