FRE 
be placed with others ; and statues, in- 
tended at first to stand alone, will, with 
difficulty, enter into composition without 
some alteration ; though the Diana in the 
Thesus, and the woman with wings in the 
Telephus, are more contrasted, and have 
an air of motion. 
“ The general taste of the composition is 
remarkable, not only for its resemblance to 
statues, as I have observed before, but to 
bas reliefs also. It is clear that the authors 
had them present to their imagination, and 
that they had made on their minds a very 
lively impression. 
“The demi-tints are of an olive grey, or of 
a yellowish or reddish cast, and the shades 
of red, mixed with black. The draperies, 
in general, are made with little plaits, formed 
of light and flexible stuffs, after the style 
of Roman sculpture.” The picture of 
Telephus is, however, an exception, and 
seems to lead the author to think, that the 
artist who performed this piece, was supe- 
rior to those who executed the others. 
In the aggregate there are no groupes, 
harmony, or claro obscuro. Each figure 
stands, as it were, independent, with its 
own light and shade only, neither receiving 
reflected light from the next, nor casting 
shade on it ; nor are the shades broken, but 
done with the same colour as the half tints, 
and have merely less white ; this peculia- 
rity arose from their deficiency in the 
science of perspective, which reduced the 
artist to the necessity of making the gra- 
duation of distance by the faintness of his 
colours. “ For the rest,” adds the Count, 
“ the pictures are done with ease, the touch 
is bold, and the pencil handled freely, the 
colouring being sometimes laid on patches, 
and sometimes softened down ; in a word, 
the execution is light, and in the same style 
nearly as we paint the decorations of our 
theatres, the whole indicating a great prac- 
tice in the artists.” 
Thus much is considered necessary, in 
order to show that the adoption of many 
colours in Fresco paintings, took place sub- 
sequent to 471 ; like all other arts, it must 
have beep improved by degrees, and it 
cannot be doubted, that the great masters, 
whose labours still adorn the numerous 
churches and palaces in Italy, contributed 
largely to its perfection, though it is well 
known that many of their best works have 
suffered from damps, which it is presumed 
will prevent their stability wherever it pre- 
vails. This circumstance has operated to 
FRE 
so great a degree in St. Peter’s at Rome, 
that most of the old pictures have been 
replaced by others in Mosaic. See Mo- 
saic. 
The same cause has prevented the fre- 
quent use of Fresco painting in England, 
except in mansions where a dry air is con- 
stantly preserved, the necessity of this pre- 
caution is demonstrated at present in the 
dome of St. Paul’s. The manner of per- 
forming this description of painting, is to 
work while the plaster is wet which covers 
the wall to be decorated, consequently, in 
the execution of large subjects, the process 
of plastering must immediately precede the 
brush of the artist, and only in the propor- 
tion he works, that the colours may incor- 
porate with the composition, and that it 
may not absorb the water which dilutes 
them, and prevent the free touches intended 
for effect. 
Vitruvius, who calls Fresco painting udo 
tectorio, gives an accurate account of the 
extreme care which the ancients thought 
necessary in preparing the stuccoes for the 
colours, and it must be admitted that they 
succeeded admirably, when we consider 
how very perfect the remains of their pro- 
ductions now are, after undergoing the sul- 
phurous inhumation of ashes, caused by the 
eruption of Vesuvius, one thousand three 
hundred and thirty seven years past. The 
moderns, however, conceive that their lime 
and sand is preferable. 
The design intended for a wall, should 
be drawn on paper, or any substance from 
whence it may be transferred to the wet 
plaster ; the mode of proceeding must af- 
terwards be similar to that practised in 
painting upon canvass. The colours should 
be earths, exclusively, diluted with water 
sufficiently to make them flow freely, but 
not to decompose the plaster and mix its 
surface with them ; long soft haired brushes 
should therefore be preferred. 
FRESH suit, in law, is such a ready and 
earnest following of an offender, as never 
ceases from the time of the offence being 
committed or discovered, until he be ap- 
prehended ; and the effect of this, in the 
pursuit of a felon, is, that the party pur- 
suing shall have his goods again, whereas 
otherwise, they are forfeited to the King. 
Anciently the law was strict in this case, 
but now the goods are, in all cases, restored 
to the party. 
FRESH, a term used at sea, to signify a 
strong, but not violent or dangerous wind : 
