l show you with what perfect care the colourist has
followed the outline of every leaf in the sky. Beside, I put a
chiaroscurist drawing (at least, a photograph of one), Duerer's from
nature, of the common wild wall-cabbage (Edu. 32). It is the most
perfect piece of delineation by flat tint I have ever seen, in its
mastery of the perspective of every leaf, and its attainment almost of
the bloom of texture, merely by its exquisitely tender and decisive
laying of the colour. These two examples ought, I think, to satisfy you
as to the precision of outline of both schools, and the power of
expression which may be obtained by flat tints laid within such outline.

161. Next, here are two examples of the gradated shading expressive of
the forms within the outline, by two masters of the chiaroscuro school.
The first (S. 12) shows you Lionardo's method of work, both with chalk
and the silver point. The second (S. 302), Turner's work in mezzotint;
both masters doing their best. Observe that this plate of Turner's,
which he worked on so long that it was never published, is of a subject
peculiarly depending on effects of mystery and concealment, the fall of
the Reuss under the Devil's Bridge on the St. Gothard; (the _old_
bridge; you may still see it under the existing one, which was built
since Turner's drawing was made). If ever outline could be dispensed
with, you would think it might be so in this confusion of cloud, foam,
and darkness. But here is Turner's own etching on the plate (Edu. 35 F),
made under the mezzotint; and of all the studies of rock outline made by
his hand, it is the most decisive and quietly complete.

162. Again; in the Lionardo sketches, many parts are lost in obscurity,
or are left intentionally uncertain and mysterious, even in the light,
and you might at first imagine some permission of escape had been here
given you from the terrible law of delineation. But the slightest
attempts to copy them will show you that the terminal lines are
inimitably subtle, unaccusably true, and filled by gradations of shade
so determined and measured that the addition of a grain of the lead or
chalk as large as the filament of a moth's wing, would make an
appreciable difference in them.

This is grievous, you think, and hopeless? No, it is delightful and full
of hope: delightful, to see what marvellous things can be done by men;
and full of hope, if your hope is the right one, of being one day able
to rejoice more in