CHAPTER III

.--Of Truth of Clouds:--Secondly, of the Central Cloud

Region.

Sec. 1. Extent and typical character of the central cloud region. 226 Sec. 2. Its characteristic clouds, requiring no attention nor thought for their representation, are therefore favorite subjects with the old masters. 226 Sec. 3. The clouds of Salvator and Poussin. 227 Sec. 4. Their essential characters. 227 Sec. 5. Their angular forms and general decision of outline. 228 Sec. 6. The composition of their minor curves. 229 Sec. 7. Their characters, as given by S. Rosa. 230 Sec. 8. Monotony and falsehood of the clouds of the Italian school generally. 230 Sec. 9. Vast size of congregated masses of cloud. 231 Sec. 10. Demonstrable by comparison with mountain ranges. 231 Sec. 11. And consequent divisions and varieties of feature. 232 Sec. 12. Not lightly to be omitted. 232 Sec. 13. Imperfect conceptions of this size and extent in ancient landscape. 233 Sec. 14. Total want of transparency and evanescence in the clouds of ancient landscape. 234 Sec. 15. Farther proof of their deficiency in space. 235 Sec. 16. Instance of perfect truth in the sky of Turner's Babylon. 236 Sec. 17. And in his Pools of Solomon. 237 Sec. 18. Truths of outline and character in his Como. 237 Sec. 19. Association of the cirrostratus with the cumulus. 238 Sec. 20. The deep-based knowledge of the Alps in Turner's Lake of Geneva. 238 Sec. 21. Farther principles of cloud form exemplified in his Amalfi. 239 Sec. 22. Reasons for insisting on the _infinity_ of Turner's works. Infinity is almost an unerring test of _all_ truth. 239 Sec. 23. Instances of the total want of it in the works of Salvator. 240 Sec. 24. And of the universal presence of it in those of Turner. The conclusions which may be arrived at from it. 240 Sec. 25. The multiplication of objects, or increase of their size, will not give the impression of infinity, but is the resource of novices. 241 Sec. 26. Farther instances of infinity in the gray skies of Turner. 242 Sec. 27. The excellence of the cloud-drawing of Stanfield. 242 Sec. 28. The average standing of the English school. 243

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