among the indents. 587 



frefque painting difcoverable in the perform- 

 ances of Michael Ahgelo, Raphael and other 

 later artifts.* 



Painting in frefco has a decided advantage 

 over oil painting in the brilliancy and perma- 

 nence of the colours which are not nearly fo 

 liable to injury from expofure in this way as when 

 mixt up with oil. Many of the ancient paintings 

 lafted a very long time, and one of the earliefl: 

 as well as fined among modern paintings, whereof 

 the colours are ftill faid to be very vivid, is in 

 frefque. -j- 



In general however, the ancients painted on a 

 dry ground, even in their buildings, as appears 

 from the Herculanean antiquities, whereof moll of 

 the paintings are thus done. At Rome and 

 Naples the firft (deepeft) coat is of Terra Puzzo- 

 lanaj about one finger thick :1| the next of 

 ground marble or alabafter, and fometimes of 

 pure lime (or ftucco) in thicknefs about one 

 third of the former. Upon this they appear to 

 have laid a coat of black, and then another of 



* Winckleman Hift. de I'Art, torn. II. p. 107. et feq. 



f The battle of Ccnilantine and Maxentius, defigned 

 by Raphael and painted by' Julio Romano. There are 

 about a dozen ancient frefque paintings at Rome, of which 

 the marriage in the Aldrobandine palace is one. 



X Of the fame nature nearly with the terras now ufed in 

 mortar required to keep out wet. 



Ij Winckleman Hift. de I'Art. torn. II. p. 107. 



red 



