Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/197

 HINTS ON GLASS I'AINTING. 179 pieces of positive colour in the canopy, and white glass round the trefoil arch and border, to the veiy edge of the picture ; the face itself of the figure being the most modi- fied tint in the whole. The rich border in Plate 6, the borders, and more especially the canopies both in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, answer the same purpose of preventing the eye from being too decidedly drawn from the outline of the window to the central parts ; and in the more artistically de- signed and highly finished pic- tures of the Cinque Cento style the same principle is recognised as in the composition represented in Plate 22, a window hi Audi ca- thedral in France. It is obvious that as high a style of art may be developed in glass painting as in either of the other branches, though a difference of method may be required both in composition and execution. In departing from the Mosaic method, we should pro- bably soon lose the best and most distinctive characteristics of glass painting ; but by taking it up at that point at which it attained most of the excellences of oil and fresco painting, in roundness of shadow, and harmony and fulness of colour, while it sacrificed little or none of its own qualities, viz., of trans- parency and brilliancy, we should avail otirselves of every existing beauty, and not improbably strike out a path of improvement. Such are evidently the views of our au- thor. " It is evident that the first step towards elevating glass painting to the rank it once held amongst the arts, is to estimate its produc- THE CINQUE CENTO STTLE A uch Cathedral, France ■