DISTANCE (n.)
TERM USED AS TRANSLATIONS IN QUOTATION
DÉGRADATION (fra.)TERM USED IN EARLY TRANSLATIONS
DISTANCE (fra.)FILTERS
LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
{2. Of local distance}. The second [ndr : erreur fréquemment commise par le peintre] is of Landtskip, or Locall distance, as I have seene painted a Church, and some halfe a mile beyond it the vicaredge ; yet the Vicars chimney drawne bigger then the steeple by a third part, which being lesse of it selfe, ought also to be much more abated by the distance.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Chap. VI, Of LANDKSIP.
The bounds and limits of Landskip are inexpressible, they being as various as fancy is copious ; I will give you only some general Rules for Painting of Landskip, and so conclude this third Book.
In painting of any Landskip always begin with the Sky, the Sun-beams, or lightest parts first ; next the Yellow beams, which compose of Masticote and White ; next your Blew Skies, with Smalt only. At your first colouring leave no part of your ground uncovered ; but lay Your Colours smooth and even all over. Work your Sky downwards towards your Horizon fainter and fainter, as it draws nearer and nearer to the Earth ; you must work your tops of Mountains and objects far remote, so faint that they may appear as lost in the Air : Your lowest and nearest Ground must be of the colour of the earth, of a dark yellowish brown Green, the next lighter Green, and so successively as they lose in their distance, they must abate in their colour. Make nothing that you see at a distance perfect ; as if discerning a Building to be fourteen or fifteen miles off, I know not Church, Castle, House, or the like ; so that in drawing of it you must express no particular sign, as Bell, Portcullis, or the like ; but express it in colours as weakly and faintly as your eye judgeth of it. Ever in your Landskip place light against dark, and dark against light, which is the only way to extend the prospect far off, occasioned by opposing light to shadow ; yet so as the shadows must lose their force in proportion as they remove from the eye, and the strongest shadow must always be nearest hand.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
In Distance we must observe that the Object come not too near to the Eye, nor yet be too far of, for then the Air between will take away too much of the Colour and Beauty.
In too Obtuse and short Distances, Things seem to decline and run too much backwards, in a preposterous manner ; so Things too far of, making Acute and sharpe Angles in the Eye give no grace to the work ; it is reckon’d a proper Distance, for the Beholder to stand from the Object, three times the Length thereof.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
Every Picture should be so contriv’d, as that at a Distance, when one cannot discern what Figures there are, or what they are doing, it should appear to be composed of Masses, Light, and Dark ; the Latter of which serve as Reposes to the Eye. The Forms of These Masses must be Agreeable, of whatsoever they consist, Ground, Trees, Draperies, Figures, &c. and the Whole together should be Sweet, and Delightful, Lovely Shapes and Colours without a Name ; of which there is an infinite Variety.
Conceptual field(s)
Quotation
The Distance also alters the Colouring because of the Medium of Air through which every thing is seen, which being Blue, the more remote any Object is the more it must partake of that Colour, consequently must have less Force, or Strength ;