DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19575#0076
64 L I M
trad ifli notion to painting, properly To called, which is done in
oil colours.
Limning is by far the more ancient kind of painting;: The art
of painting in oil is far more modern, it not being known till
the year 141c, when it was found out by one John Van Evck,
a Flemifh painter, better known by the Name of John of Bru-
ges. Before his time all the painters painted in water and frefco
alone, both on wooden boards, walls, and elfewhere.
When they made ufe of boards for painting, they ufually
glewed a fine linen cloth over them, to prevent their opening,
and then laid on a ground of white ; they alfo mixed up their
colours with water and fize, or with water and yolks of egcrs,
well beaten with the branches of a fig-tree ; the juice of which,
being thus mixed with the eggs, was the mixture with which
they painted their pieces.
In Limning, all colours are proper enough, excepting the
white made of lime, which is only ufed in frefco.
But the azure and ultramarine muff always be mixed up with
fize or with gum ; becaufe the yolks of eggs give yellow colours
a greenifh tinclure.
But before thefe colours, though mixed with fize, are laid on,
there are always applied two lays of hot fize; the compofition
made with eigs and the juice of fig-tree being only ufed for
touching up and flnifhing, and to prevent the neceffitv of ha-
ving a fire always at hand to keep the fize hot; yet it is cer-
tain, that the fize colours hold the beff, and are accordingly al-
ways ufed in cartoons, &:c. This fize is made of fhreds of thin
leather or parchment : To Limn on linen they chufe that which
is old, half worn and clofe ; this thev do over with white lead,
or with a fine plaifrer beaten up with fize ; which when dry,
they go over it again with a lay of the fame iize.
The colours are all ground in water, each by itfelf; and, ii\
proportion as they are wanted in working, are diluted with ilzed
water.
If yolks of eggs are to be ufed, thev are diluted with a water
made of an equal quantity of common water and vinegar, with
the yolks, white, and fhell of an egg ; and the ends of the little
branches of a fig-tree cut fmall, all well beaten together in an
earthen pan.
If thev would have the piece varnifhed, when finifhed, they
go over it with the white of an egg yvel! beaten, and then with
varnifh.
But this, however, is only to nreferve it from wet ; for the
great advantage of Limning confiffs in its being free from any
luftre, in regard that all its colours, thus void of luftre, may be
feen
trad ifli notion to painting, properly To called, which is done in
oil colours.
Limning is by far the more ancient kind of painting;: The art
of painting in oil is far more modern, it not being known till
the year 141c, when it was found out by one John Van Evck,
a Flemifh painter, better known by the Name of John of Bru-
ges. Before his time all the painters painted in water and frefco
alone, both on wooden boards, walls, and elfewhere.
When they made ufe of boards for painting, they ufually
glewed a fine linen cloth over them, to prevent their opening,
and then laid on a ground of white ; they alfo mixed up their
colours with water and fize, or with water and yolks of egcrs,
well beaten with the branches of a fig-tree ; the juice of which,
being thus mixed with the eggs, was the mixture with which
they painted their pieces.
In Limning, all colours are proper enough, excepting the
white made of lime, which is only ufed in frefco.
But the azure and ultramarine muff always be mixed up with
fize or with gum ; becaufe the yolks of eggs give yellow colours
a greenifh tinclure.
But before thefe colours, though mixed with fize, are laid on,
there are always applied two lays of hot fize; the compofition
made with eigs and the juice of fig-tree being only ufed for
touching up and flnifhing, and to prevent the neceffitv of ha-
ving a fire always at hand to keep the fize hot; yet it is cer-
tain, that the fize colours hold the beff, and are accordingly al-
ways ufed in cartoons, &:c. This fize is made of fhreds of thin
leather or parchment : To Limn on linen they chufe that which
is old, half worn and clofe ; this thev do over with white lead,
or with a fine plaifrer beaten up with fize ; which when dry,
they go over it again with a lay of the fame iize.
The colours are all ground in water, each by itfelf; and, ii\
proportion as they are wanted in working, are diluted with ilzed
water.
If yolks of eggs are to be ufed, thev are diluted with a water
made of an equal quantity of common water and vinegar, with
the yolks, white, and fhell of an egg ; and the ends of the little
branches of a fig-tree cut fmall, all well beaten together in an
earthen pan.
If thev would have the piece varnifhed, when finifhed, they
go over it with the white of an egg yvel! beaten, and then with
varnifh.
But this, however, is only to nreferve it from wet ; for the
great advantage of Limning confiffs in its being free from any
luftre, in regard that all its colours, thus void of luftre, may be
feen