Shadows Versus Lineaments; Lighting a Figure by Its Setting
Why shadow is harder than outline, and how to light a figure in sun, dull weather, indoors or by firelight
A text leaf from Part Three of the Treatise on Painting. It warns that whoever flees shadow forfeits the glory of art among noble minds and pleases only the crowd, who care for colour alone. One chapter argues that shadows demand far more study than lineaments, since outlines can be traced through veils or flat glass but shadows have imperceptible, confused edges. A further chapter instructs how to light a figure according to its imagined setting — bright sun, dull weather, indoors, a cloth-covered window, or firelight.
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Fleeing shadow forfeits the glory of art
Whoever flees the shadows flees the glory of the art in the eyes of noble intellects, gaining favour only with the ignorant crowd, who desire nothing but beauty of colour and forget the marvel of showing a flat thing in relief.
Shadows harder to master than lineaments
Shadows require far greater investigation than lineaments, for outlines can be traced with veils or flat panes of glass set between the eye and the object, whereas shadows cannot, because of the imperceptibility of their boundaries, which are most often confused, as shown in the book on shadow and light.
Lighting a figure according to its setting
Light should suit the natural site imagined: in sun, dark shadows and broad lights with cast shadows on the ground; in dull weather, little difference between lights and shadows and none at the feet; indoors, great difference with a ground shadow; by a cloth window and white room, little difference; by fire, reddish strong lights and dark shadows.