ANCIENT eRECUN OR ENCAUSTIC PAINTING, g^ 



a little cold, stir in by degrees twelve ounces, or three quar- 

 ters of a pint (wine naeasure) of cold spring water, and af- 

 terward strain it. 



It would be equally practicable painting with wax alone, A composition 

 dissolved in gum-water in the following manner. Take ^l^gH^j, * 

 twelve ounces, or three quarters of a pint (wine measure) of 

 cold spring water, and four ounces and a half of gum ara- 

 bic, put them into a glazed earthen vessel, and when the 

 gum is dissolved, add ejght ounces of white wax. Put the 

 earthen vessel with the gum-water and wax upon a slo^r 

 fire, and stir them till the wax is dissolved, and has boiled 

 a few minutes: then take them off the fire and throw them 

 into a basin, as by remaining in the hot earthen vessel the 

 wax would become rather hard ; beat the gum-water and 

 wax till quite cold. As there is but a small proportion of 

 water in comparison to the quantity of gum and wax, it 

 would be necessary in mixing, this con> position with the co- 

 lours, to put al«o some fair water. Should the composition 

 be so made as to occasion the ingredients to separate in the 

 bottle, it will become equally serviceable, if shaken before 

 used with the colours. 



I had lately an opportunity of discovering, that the com- The composi- 



position which had remained in a bottle since the year 1792, b°ke^J°in^ ^'^^ 



in which time it had grown dry and become as solid a sub- but may be 



stance as wax, returned to a creamlike consistence, and be- softened afresh 



. . • • 1 , 1 with water. 



came agam in as proper a state to mix with colours, as when 



it was first made, by putting a little cold water upon it, 

 and suffering it to remain on a short time. I also lately 

 found some of the mixture composed of only gum arabic 

 water and gum mastich, of which I sent a specimen to the 

 Society of Arts in 17i)2 ; it was become dry, and had much 

 the appearance and consistency of horn. I found, on let- 

 ting some cold water remain over it, that it became as fit 

 for painting with, as when the composition was first pre-. 

 pared. 



Ih 



