In a modern exhibition pictures lose by tone at first glance, but in the
Louvre pictures gained, and Titian, Correggio, Rubens, Cuyp, and
Rembrandt combated everything by the depth of their tones; and one still
hopes that, when toning is successfully done, it will prevail.
You have now got your exhibition open in Edinburgh: do you find tone and
depth an advantage there or not? Painting bright and raw, if one can
find in his heart to lower and glaze it afterwards, is always
satisfactory; but unless strength can be combined with this, it will
never be the fashion in our days.
_Wilkie._