go On JLncaujhc Painting. 



clothing. I can affign no other caufe for the fragment irf 

 queftion ; and this would enhance the value of it, and render 

 more important, as Well as more ufeful, its great antiquity, 

 and the beautiful painting to be feen on it. 



In all probability the ancients, as I have already faid, were 

 once acquainted with the life of oil-painting, and loft or 

 neglected it afterwards, fo that it was perhaps employed only 

 lomctimes by a few. 



Petroniits praifes the frefh appearance which the valuable 

 works of Zeuxis and Apelles had, even in his time ; but 

 Cicero, on the other hand, fpeaks of the paintings of the 

 ancients having fuffered from blacknefs. The former fpeaks 

 of wax-painting, and the latter certainly alludes to paintings 

 in oil. It is well known that paintings with wet chalks or 

 water colours do not become black by age, and that this is 

 the cafe alio with encauftic. Of this any one may be 

 convinced, not only by the expreffions of the above quoted 

 authors, but by one's own eyes on furveying the Egyptian 

 fragment alluded to. Galland proves, on various grounds, 

 that a painting was made with oil fo early as the reign of 

 Marcus Aurelius ; and if no fpecimens of that period have 

 reached us, this is perhaps to be afcribed to the frail and 

 perifhable nature of this fpecies of painting. 



Theoldeft oil-painting now in exiftence, as far as I know/ 

 is a Madonna and child on her arm with art eaftern counte- 

 nance. It has marked on it the date, which" is thus cxpreffed 

 occclxxxvj. If we exprefs thefewith Arabic characters,-. 

 it would make, in my opinion, 886^ and the period of this 

 piece would fall about the time of Bafilius or Charlemagne. 

 This ungular and valuable painting, found in the old palace 

 {palazxo vecchio) of the Florentine republic, is prefervr-cl si 

 prefent in the chapel of the noble and learned director Ben- 

 civenni otherwife Pelli, who purchafed it of a broker in the 

 ftreet for a few liVres. I muft however remark, that if 

 inftead.of the above date we ought tc read Mcccixxxvr.' 



which 



