5^3 On the Art of Painting 



red paint, on which laft the fubjeft itfelf was 

 executed, as appears from thofe performances 

 where the figures are worn out. Such feems 

 to have been their general method of painting 

 upon wallsy at leaft in that period of the art, 

 when the paintings were executed which nov/ 

 remain. In their moveable pi6Vures and in the 

 performances of their firft: artiils, and where 

 efFed of light and fhade was neceflary, they 

 doubtlefs ufed white.* 



The colours employed, they feem to have 

 mixed up for ufe with fize, of which they preferred 

 that made by boiling the ears-j- and genitals of 

 bulls. This appears to have made the colours fo 

 durable and adhefive, that the ancient paintings 

 lately found bear wafhing even yet with a fofc 

 cloth and wafer, and fometimes even diluted aqua 



• Analare quod vocant candidum eft quo muliebres pie- 



turae illuminantur, Ex omnibus coloribus crctulam 



(a kind of white chalk) amant adoque illini recufant pur- 

 purifTam, indicum, Cffirureum melinum ^uripigmentum, 

 appianam, ceruffa. Plin. XXXV. 30 and 31. This paf- 

 fage implies that the cofours thus enumerated were not 

 decompofed when ufed on cretula as the ground. 



f Glutinum prjeftantiffimutn fit ex guribus taurorum et 

 genitalibus. Nee quidquam efficacius prodeft ambuftis : 

 fed adulterafur nihil aeque quibufvis pellibus inveteratis, 

 calceamentifque etiam decoftis. Rhodiacum fideliflimum ; 

 eoque piftores et inedici utuntur. Id quoque, quo candi- 

 dios eo probatius ; nigrum et lignofura damnatur. Plin. 

 XXVIII. 71. 



fortis 



