among the Ancients. 517 



the four already mentioned, merely becaufe they 

 did adually ufe no more. On the contrary, it 

 may be conjedured with fome degree of proba- 

 bility, from the anecdotes related by Apelles, 

 from the general commendations given to the 

 more early painters for their chaftenefs in defign, 

 and from the complaints Pliny* makes of the 

 gaudy tafte of the Roman painters, that the 

 Greeks in general were defignedly\ chafte in their 



colouring, 



not only that the ancients were in pofTeflion of an azure 

 or deep blue, but that they had the art of laying it on in 

 frefque, fo as to continue in great brilliancy (en grande 

 vivacite) for many centuries, provided the walls were not 

 liable to be afFe£led by damps. In p. 177, of the fame 

 volume, he defcribes the habit of a painted gladiator, 

 where a great deal of blue appears to have been ufed. In 

 particular the concave part of the buckler eji d'un bleue 

 Jonce. 



In the coUeflion of prints from the paintings in the fe- 

 pulchre of the Nafonii in the Flaminian way, publilhed 

 by Bellorius (Graev. torn. XII.) there are many blues and 

 violets mentioned. 



TurnbuU has coloured fome of the prints which he pub- 

 lilhed from antique paintings, after the originals, and 

 blues are to be feen there. See alfo Winkleman, Hill, dc 

 I'art chez Ics Anciens, vol. II. p. 93. 



• XXXV. 3Z. 



t " The paintings of the ancients," fays Dionyfius 

 Halicarnafleus, " were fimple and unvaried in their co- 

 *• louring, but correct in their drawing, and diftinguilhed 

 " by their elegance. Thofe which fucceeded, lefs corredt 

 *• in their drawing, were more finiihed, more varied in 

 LI? *• their 



