1842.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



9» 



purpote, and although fully aware that practical men, and experienced archi- 

 tects arc acquainted with their qualities, yet there are many who, practising 

 one mode of painting, are ignorant of all the others, particularly as applied to 

 architectural decoration. 



The covering large surfaces, and the representation of subjects and orna- 

 ments by colour, is performed in either what is called fresco, distemper, 

 encaustic, or oil (with varnish or without) termed Hatting. 



Oil painting consists in using pigments mixed with oils, gums, or other 

 vehicles, for the transparent colours, and with opaque bodies, such as wliite 

 lead, and metallic oxides, for the lights ; the extensive range or scale from 

 Ught to dark, through all the varieties of colour, from the most delicate tint 

 to the most juicy richness, gives it many advantages for general purposes, 

 which no other mode possesses ; the ease with which it is worked, the nume- 

 rous re-touchings, toning, scumbling, glazing, &c., renders it a most fasci- 

 nating medium to convey the ideas of the artist to the canvas, panel, or wall. 

 Durability is another of its advantages; and it would appear to possess every 

 requisite for embellishing the ladies' boudoir, the picture galler)-, or public 

 edifices of the greatest magnitude, or most severe character. But upon 

 mature reflection it will be seen, notwithstanding the extensive powers of oil 

 painting, that it is used to the best advantage when applied to certain sizes 

 and positions, and when confined within paneUing or framing, and so placed 

 as to receive the light from a particular angle, as its glossy surface reflects all 

 objects before it. The ceiUng by Rubens at \A'hitehall will explain this, for 

 since it was last cleaned, the canvass of the centre oval appears quilted, in 

 consequence of the cord which suspend it rendering the surface uneven, and 

 it can only be seen from a very few parts of the chapel without those shining 

 little spots. The same cause operates npon oil painting, when applied to 

 staircases, coves, and curved surfaces, and the staircase and saloon at the 

 Uritish .Museum, the hall at Greenwich Hospital, and other places, ere 

 examples of its misapplication. It may be stated in answer to this, that 

 there are many paintings on a large scale which do not shine ; this must be 

 allowed, but the cause is that they have, from age, &c., become mealy and 

 dry in their shadows, losing all their transparency and richness, and in many 

 cases the dark colours are covered with a grey cloud, and the usual cry is — 

 How much they want varnish. 



I am also aware of the various methods used to destroy the gloss of oil 

 pictures when placed opposite to windows, as starch, rice, while of egg, and 

 spirits, with several others ; but in every case that I have seen and tried, the 

 richness of the deep colours and shadows are reduced to the dullness of dis- 

 temper ; the excessive blackness in the staircase at the liritish Museum, &c., 

 is occasioned by the boiled oil used in preparing the grounds to prevent 

 damps from coming through ; this never occurs in pictures painted with pure 

 oils. Many attempts have also been made to unite the qualities of fresco, 

 encaustic, and distemper with oil, by using one over the other. 



Paintinf in distemper, or body colour, is so inferior to oil, that few artists 

 in this country practise it fur pictures, although much used in Italy. Yet it 

 has some imjiortant qualities which fit it for purposes wherein oil would fall ; 

 it is a mixture of colours, with whiting anil size, gum, white of egg, or other 

 glutinous substances, it cannot be softened or blended without great difticulty, 

 to that in most cases, where finish is required, the several tints arc carried 

 into each other by hatching with the point of a hair pencil, as in the Cartoons 

 of RafTaellc at Hampton Court. Its extraordinary power of reflecting light 

 equally, renders it best adapted for scenery and gay light decoration. Its 

 chief characteristics are, that it represents air, distant landscape, architectural 

 objects and sculpture, better than by any other means (when on a very large 

 scale, and the spectator is kept at a distance), for on approaching it appears 

 dry and unfinished. Its chief objection for architectural decoration is, that 

 it sufTers from damp, and is removeabic with a sponge and water. Most 

 rolours can l)c used in distemper, even some that arc useless in oil, as verditer 

 and others ; all the bright and rosy tints arc seen to the best advantage 

 ^f.hcn used in distemper. 



I'aintiogin tur|ientine,or as it is termed flatting or dead colour, is a modi- 

 fication of oil painting, no varnishes being used but turpentine alone (except- 

 ing the oil in which the colours have been ground). Its qualities arc verv 

 similar to distemper, with the advantages that the colours may be blended 

 and softened into each other; but dispatch anil rapidity of execution is 

 necessary, or the painting will shine in those parts where the brusli has 

 passed frequently over. It represents air and distant land.scapc equal to 

 distemper, and may be carried to the extreme delicacy of finish ; but on a 

 \ cry large scale, it loses its force in the sbailowa, reflects considerably less 

 light, ainl appears weak in comjiarison with distemper , it is as durable as oil 

 would be without varnish. 



As to encaustic painting, I must confess my inability to explain its best 

 qualities, or do it justice, the few experiments I have made and seen not 

 being suflicient. Its general principles, however, consist in a mixture of 

 gum mastic, wax, and gum arable, boUcd in water, and used with powder 

 colours on dn.- plaster, canvass, or panel, after which a coat of melted wax is 

 spreail over the whole, and a hot iron applied to drive the wax into the 

 painting, and to incorporate with tlie colours, by which they are rendered 

 more transparent and bright. Auotlar way .s to prepare a ground of wax, 

 paint upon it »ith distemper colours, and when dry apply hot Irons, and it 

 will be fixed. 



In all my experiments, I never have been able to remove a cloudy appear- 

 ance, or to drive in the wax equally, when on a surface of any size ; but 1 

 believe the recent discoveries of the I'rench artists have brought it to 

 maturity. It was much tried a few years ago, and I have seen several pic- 

 tures which were thought successful, but they never exceeded eighteen 

 inches square, and bad a semi-transparent appearance (from the wax) like 

 marble ; they must be very permanent, and resist the dam|is of a moist 

 cUmate. Durability without gloss is its chief advant.-ige, it can be 

 retouched aud painted upon at any time, so that careful cartoons, and a 

 thorough knowledge of drawing arc not so essential as in fresco. 



Fresco, a term not generally understood, was greatly talked about 20 years 

 ago, and at last has become a question of national importance. It was sup- 

 posed a secret and mysterious operation, whereas of all other modes of 

 painting it is the most simple ; I am therefore astonished that many writers 

 upon it, and some of them artists, should bring forward such opposite 

 opinions, when a single experiment would prove the permanency of the 

 colours, and explain the whole affair. 



From numerous experiments I have made, I believe that all our usual 

 mortars will answer equally well, as far as the operation of applying the 

 colours. The durability of the stucco is another consideration ; the practical 

 plasterer will know what mixtures work the best, and the experienced archi- 

 tect can inform us of the materials to endure the tests of time and climate. 



I think it not likely the Greek artists used exactly the same composition 

 for their stuccos in their own country, as they did at I'ompeii and llercu- 

 laneum, or that Masaccio, Michael Angclo, or the Sicilian artists, painted on 

 a preparation, precisely the same as those now practising at Munich, and I 

 am convinced that the painter will find walls, and stuccos, ready prepared 

 to his hands for fresco, as good as he can desire, either in England, Russia, 

 India, or America. 



The process consists in laying and spreading very even, a mortar com- 

 posed of lime mixed with either sand, pulverized flint, bricks, or glass, and 

 while it is fresh and moist, to apply colours prepared from earths and 

 minerals, mixing them with water, the whole will become chemically incor- 

 porated and fixed when the stucco is dry, and will become so hard by time 

 OS to bear rubbing with a wet sponge or cloth. It must be remembered 

 that vegetable colours will not stand. Those to be used in fresco painting 

 arc few, of a deep sober tone, of great intensity, and are very brilliant when 

 judiciously contrasted. In this the knowledge of the artist is called forth, 

 as in every other method of painting, and a very little practice will teach 

 him the few changes which take place in the drying of his tints. Although 

 small works of the greatest excellence have been executed, aud by the first 

 masters, yet the proper field for fresco is in figure subjects on extended sur- 

 faces, and it is most ert'cctive when in conjunction with sculpture and 

 architecture. 



As a decoration, it surjiasses every other mode of painting ; its grand and 

 impressive tune of colour, with a boldness and decision of outline rejecting 

 all meretiicious ornament, and its combiuing with large masses of architec- 

 ture, give a dignity and majesty commanding silence and admiration. 



I must observe that much of the richness and briUiancy of fresco, depends 

 on the stucco ground reflecting light through the colours, and Imlian red, 

 when applied on a large surface, appears as heaullful as the richest lake in 

 oil. The colours never grow darker, nor do they suffer from absence of 

 light. Their durability is beyond a doubt. 



A very general iiuprcssion exists, that any painting done on a wall is 

 fresco. This is* nilsUke, as uoue of the works by Thomhill. Verrio, aod 

 others, are in fresco but in oil ; also that the scenery at the theatres is 

 fresco ; they are not so, but in dittcm|>er. In fact nothing can properly bo 

 called fresco that Is touched after the fresh mortar is dry and it is moreover 

 supposed that the lingllsh artists are entirely ignorant of this motic of paint- 

 ing. This again is not tine ; many have Irii-d and lucreodrd ; and there Is 

 an interesting aicounl in the " Art I nion," of last year, dcjcriblng a work 

 by Thomas llarkcr of lialh, thirty feet long, and twelve high, full of ligun s 



P 2 



