14^ On Encavjlic Painting. 



But, !o bring my aflertions to greater certainty, it was nc~ 

 ceffary not only to prove the abfence of every foreign matter 

 in the above-mentioned encauftic fragment by means of an 

 accurate analysis, and to form fome conjecture what kind of 

 oil mult have been combined with the wax, but it v. as neeef- 

 fary alio to fearch for an imitation of it fynthetically j and [ 

 had the good fortune to meet with a favourable opportunity 

 ofgratif in ■■ . q villi eg in this refpecl. 



In the year 1785 my worthy friend Gultenbrunn, an 

 eminent Saxon painter, now in London, refided at Florence. 

 t prepared for him. a Solution of Venetian wax in highly 

 pun lied nap', ha, and defired him to mix up with it the 

 colours neceflary for a painting. -He immediately complied 

 with my requeftj and we were both aftonifhed, as well as all 

 our friends, at the high tone which the colours afhimed, 

 and the agreeable luftre which the panning afterwards ac- 

 quired, when it had been rubbed over with a foft el )th. I 

 obferved that, in following this procefs, the artift can de- 

 termine the effect of the colours from their appearance on 

 the pallet. This is not the cafe when the wax is combined 

 with alkali, gum, or maftic, by which the pigments have a 

 different appearance tinder the pencil, from that which they 

 oughl to have on the painting; becaufe the painting, until it, 

 has been dried, heated, and varnifhed, appears muddy and 

 \' ; ! is p riod ! ha 1 only conjecture in mv favour 

 respecting, the ; but the refult 



of the above trial, and, full more, my examination of the 

 tian fragment, fo often mentioned already, freed me from 

 all d« 



I made | ition of th< I for that cele- 



meilo, by 1- ibii a tjn ihtity of the 



ie [acqua ivax, the good 



of. which was alfo extojled ; - ; ift. The pur- 



for which at prefent 1 would apply a preparation of 



this kind, is to daub over (bme of thole beautiful paintings in 



to be ,in in the cou t 

 of 



