af)to?ig the Ancients* ^g^ 



lus is briefly this. Rub the canvafs over with 

 wax : then hold it near a fire that the cloth may 

 intibibe the wax when it melts ; when cool, rub 

 it over with whitening that the water colours may 

 adhere, and when the fubjedl is painted, hold it 

 near a fire that the colours may be imbibed. 



Some experiments on this method by Mr. 

 Colebrook may be found in Phil. Tranf. vol. LI. 

 and more particular diredlions in Muntz's Trea- 

 tife on Encauftic Painting. 



Such appear to have been the various methods 

 of painting among the ancients, who, though 

 ignorant of the modern method of mixing up 

 colours witn oil, feem to have attained a brilli- 

 ancy and a perman.ence of colouring unknown 

 among the oil paintings of modern art.* 



I forbear to enter at prefent into an account of 

 the particular pigments employed by them, refer- 



* La maniere de peindre pratique par les anciens etolt 

 plus propre a parvenir au plus grand degre de vie et de la 

 veritable carnation. Car outre que toutes les couleurs a 

 I'huile perdent a la longue, ceft a dire qu'elles s'obfcurcif- 

 fent avec le temps, cette efpece de peinture eft toujours au 

 de/Tous de la vie. Winckleman. Hift. de I'Art. II. 112. 



It appears from Muntz's experiments that water colours 

 were far more bright when fixed by wax, than oil colours. 

 On Encauftic Painting, p. 22. 



In a room at Refina the cinnabar was fo beautiful as to 

 refemble purple. 



Vol. III. Q^q ving 



