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                                     THE HARMONY OF COLOURS.
                                                        all the exhibitors
is the same, namely, to set off the article
                                                        exhibited to the
greatest advantage, and to attract the atten-
                                                        tion of the spectator;
but where coloured goods are displayed,
                                                        we find the efforts
of the various parties have been attended
                                                        with different results.
The harmony and good taste, as re.
                                                        gards colour, with
which many of the foreign productions are
                                                        disposed, suggest
the prevalence of some system by which the
                                                        exhibitors have been
guided in arranging the space allotted
                                                        to them.
                                                          In point of elegance
of design, harmonious arrangement of
                                                        colours, and tasteful
display, the French, considering the
                                                        variety of works
which they exhibit, excel all others. The
                                                        Austrians (under
which term the inhabitants of the Lombardo-.
                                                        Veneto are not included)
and other Germans, although in
                                                        advance of the English,
have not yet attained the harmony of
                                                        the French in the
arrangement of colours. In all these coun.
                                                        tries we know that
schools of design have long been established,
                                                        and the scientific
arrangement of colours is an object of
                                                        sedulous study among
all persons connected with the arts of
                                                        design. But it is
somewhat surprising to observe the rdar-
                                                        mony of colour which
prevails in the productions of Turkey,
                   Td                                   Tunis, and the Asiatic
nations; for, taking into the account
                                                        the state of education
in those countries, we cannot ascribe
                                                        this harmony to a
scientific knowledge, but to the custom
                                                        which obtains generally
in the East, of following the traditions
                                                        of their ancestors.
The fact is, however, a proof that the
                                                        harmony of colours-of
the more simple and positive colours,
                                                        at least-was formerly
well understood, and the perfect liar- bee
                                                        mony of the architectural
paintings of the ancient Egyptian s,
                                                        of the tombs of Xanthus,
and Etruria, and the decorations of
                  By MCRs. MERRIFIELD.                  the Pompeian Villas,
show that this knowledge has existed
                                                        from a very remote
period.
                                                           Excellent as the
English have proved themselves to be, not
                  -     nDDISON observes, in one of his only in the sciences
but in the arts, it is universally, although
                           Essays on the Pleasures of the  reluctantly, admitted,
that in the arrangement of colours they
                           Imaoination, " Our sight is the are not equal
to their continental neighbos  Ts is appa-
                           most perfect and delightful of all rent on a cursory
inspection of the Great Exhibition, where
                           our senses." "There is nothing,"
the English goods appear to be arranged generally without
                           hie remarks in another essay, any regard to the
harmony of colours. The trophy of Messrs.
                           "which makes its way more Keith & Co.,
in the nave, is very defective in harmonious
                           directly to the soul than beauty, arrangement,
and the defects are rendered more apparent by
                           -among the several kinds of its prominent situation.
In the first place the colours are all
                           beauty, the eye takes most de- bright and positive,
and the eye finds no neutral or quiet hues
       of ~                light in colours," and he even  on which
to repose. In the second place, the arrangement
                           thiie nks th he idetas of coourc are itself is
bad; for we have the disagreeable impression of light
                           sthn kso peing theaen sas eaul  in blue next to
crimson. Defects like these would have been
       observed, ~ ~  ~   s  plethaateibaugo ansooubeeautifleslesoioenyal
once           ihtearso      ein     l
                  the imagination, that it is possible the obviated by a
knowledge of the laws which govern the iar-
                  soul will not be deprived of them after its mony and contrast
of colours.
                  separation from the body, but perhaps find  The harmonious
arrangement and contrast of colours is not
          (      ~~them  excited by some other occasional arbitrary, or absolutely
dependent upon taste, but is governed
                  cause, as they are at present by the ik- by fixed laws,
in the same manner as the other branches of
                  pressions of the subtle matter on the organs natural philosophy.
 A "fgood eye," as it is called, may,
of sight."* Although we may not feel disposed to adopt these indeed,
greatly assist, but nine times out of ten the good eye
opinions, in their fullest extent, the delightful and fascinatigwlbefudt
meantheired     houatede s.,l pesonas haveercnot
power of colours must be acknowledged by all. Their influence equal power
of anal        h,    a   to pereiv
upon the English school of painting has been most decided, cncurtelys theywhoe
schai of   denas which   he lednteroertaine
and has imparted to it its distinguishing characteristic. The conclusions
they are scarcelyonsc  of the u in ated
English painters havd long been colourists, but English mann- saebtentefrtipesosadteutmt
             eiin
      factuersas a lass haeytt  er  httelw    eaie to and the "1good
eye"1 frequently receives credit for what has
 the harmony and contrast of colours are of universal applica  b heei fact,
reatmengtal operatimon.  n   otato
 tion ; that whether a picture is to be painted, or a few pies  ThMaw.eltngt
        Chevhrmony andfconras of colousrs
 of coloured silk or cloth are to bc exposed for sale, the have been developed
by M.Cerupoesro            hmsr
              favorabe imresionmadeon he secttoror prchseris to the French
national establishments of the Gobelins, Beau-
 in proportion to the extent to which these laws have been  vais, andla aonre
    n   hyhv     ensuidi       rne
   obsevedand that the beauty of a colour depends less, less or more, by
all connected with the arts of design; and,
     pehpupon its individual purity and brightness, than upon jugn  ro  h
 peiesw      hv    enwt1or      ucs
 tehepskilwt, hc   ti   otatdwt       tes               by the industrial
artist, than by the student of the Fine Arts.
 When silwthewic impesios coftrwonde andh dtelihs hchw     It is much to
be regretted that the subject is not more
 f  heeon the fimrestiew s of the onterio   ofd teiheCytal Palace, studied
in England, where the arrangement of colours is too
havee pasdawynn the mis   iw   fteindteiome capable ofyta Paattendn  frequently
looked upon merely as a matter of taste ; and when
toadetpailsed  are sensible ofn aemoes cpaleasin   andtatefuli we consider
the large class of persons to whom this knowledge
arrangement of colours in that part of the building appro- wouldbusflitray
appear asonusld         the  auatuit rshol  bf
priated to foreigners, than in the department assigned to the so little cultivated,
iN ot onl wouldftb thesmanufatuersgof
            exhiitio of atie an Ameica prouctins.Thre object of articles
of clothing and furniture benfi byths kowedge
               exhibtion  f  natve an   Amercan poductons.but the wholesale
and retail venders of the goods,- houery
                        * S~ethe pecttorNos.411,4V2,413.numerous class of
persons,-as well as the upholsterhu-