530 The Pigments and Mediums of Old Masters [March 1' 



AVEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, March 17, 1922. 



Coloxel E. H. Grove-Hills, C.M.G. D.Sc. F.B.S.. 

 Secretary and Vice-President in the Chair. 



A. P. Laurie, M.A. D.Sc, Principal, Heriot-Watt College, 

 Professor of Chemistry to Ptoyal Academy. 



The Pigments and Mediums of the Old Masters. 



[Abstract.] 



Principal Laurie began by giving a short account of the special 

 colours used in Egypt and the method of preparation, throwing on 

 the screen photographs taken of the old Egyptian blue and of modern 

 samples made in the Heriot-Watt College. 



He then went on to describe the pigments used by the old 

 Byzantine monks from the 7th Century onwards, with photographs 

 taken in natural colours of the minerals from which the colours were 

 prepared and the colours themselves, and illustrations from some of 

 the early Byzantine manuscripts in the British Museum. 



His next illustrations were taken from Scoto-Irish manuscripts, 

 many of which are in Edinburgh, showing the close connection 

 between the technique of the Byzantine and Irish monks. 



Other illustrations were taken from the Lindisfarne Gospels pro- 

 duced by the monks in Holy Island. 



He then went on to trace the gradual development of the illu- 

 minator's art, with illustrations from illuminated manuscripts 

 produced by the monks of Winchester and Canterbury, and by the 

 Flemish artists of the 15th Century. 



In the course of the lecture Professor Laurie gave some account 

 of the methods he had used for identifying pigments on manuscripts 

 and pictures, and gave a table showing what pigments had been used 

 from the 7th to the 17th Centuries in illuminating work and picture 

 painting. 



Turning then to painters, he illustrated the early Italian School 

 and the work of the primitives, both in Italy and the North, by 

 means of examples taken from the National Gallery of Edinburgh, 

 and explained the different methods and mediums used by Italian 

 and Northern painters. 



[A. P. L.] 



