Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/323

PAINTING Introduction : Means and Methods op Painting. PAINTING is the art of representing on a flat surface, by means of lines and colour, objects as they appear in nature — that is to say, in such a manner that the picture produced shall, within certain limits, affect the eye in the same way as do the objects themselves. To be able to do this, thorough education of the mind, the eye and the hand is required. The mind must learn the nature of the objects depicted, the eye how they appear, and the hand how to imitate them. I. Form. In the first place, the painter must study the laws of form, and learn accurately to represent the bulk and figure of objects of every variety, whether organic or inorganic, at rest or in motion ; secondly, he must acquire a knowledge of that portion of the science of optics which embraces the laws of colour, light, and vision, including — Linear 'perspective — i. e. the effect produced upon the apparent form and grouping of objects by the position and