Tip: Unity and Variety an Unequal Balance

I was reading Harold Speed's book, The Practice and Science of Drawing, and came across an interesting thought buried in the chapter on rhythm. It has to do with the relationship between unity and variety.

Here is how he introduces the topic:

"There are two qualities that may be allowed to divide the consideration of this subject, two points of view from which the subject can be approached: unity and variety; qualities somewhat opposed to each other, as are harmony and contrast in the realm of colour."

Harold then provides a brief definition for both unity and variety:

"Unity is concerned with the relationship of all the parts to what oneness of conception that should control every detail of a work of art. All the more profound qualities, the deeper emotional notes, are on this side of the subject. On the other hand, variety holds the secrets of charm, vitality, and the picturesque, it is the 'dither,' the play between the larger parts, that makes for life and characters. Without variety there can be no life."

Then comes what I found most insightful. Speed suggests that variety should be constrained by subjecting it to unity, making unity the master and variety subordinate. I like to think of it as an unequal balance where unity is given more weight. Here is how he puts it:

"... while unity must never exist without this life-giving variety, variety must always be under the moral control of unity, or it will get out of hard and become extravagant."

He goes on to say:

"Excess of variations from a common type is what I think we recognize as ugliness in the objective world, whereas beauty is on the side of unity and conformity to type. Beauty possesses both variety and unit, and is never extreme, erring rather on the side of unity."

Finally, Harold Speed concludes his discussion on "rhythm" with the following statements regarding the relationship between unity and variety:

"... unity without variety is lifeless and incapable of touching us. On the other hand, variety without unity to govern it is a riotous exuberance of life, lacking all power and restraint and wasting itself in a madness of excess."

"... a balance has to be struck between these two opposing qualities. In good work unity is the dominating quality, all the variety being done in conformity to some large idea of the whole, which is never lost sight of, even in the smallest detail of the work. Good style in art has been defined as 'variety in unity,' and Hogarth's definition of composition as the art of 'varying well' is similar. And I am not sure that 'contrasts in harmony' would not be a suggestive definition of good colour."