International studio (45.1912)

40

THE INTERNATIONAL STUDIO

November, 1911


WORLDS BEST TABLE

The METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
fifteen years ago lighted its galleries by means of
FRINK REFLECTORS. Today it is relighting them
and FRINK REFLECTORS are again being used.
SEND FOR OUR BOOKLET
I. P. FRINK, 24th St. and 10th Ave., New York


EXCEPTIONAL MERIT characterizes our de-
signing and workmanship—whether ornate or
simple. Our constant aim is something better
than first class. Illustrated booklet mailed
upon request.

HARRISON
GRANITE CO.
Dept. 11
200 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK CITY

Resident Representatives:
H. Lawson, 4941 Osage Av., Philadelphia, Pa.
H. L. Davis, 1206 East Adams St., Syracuse, N.Y.
George Simpson, 4 Buhl Block, Detroit, Mich.
R. S. Morrison, 801 Baltimore Bld’ g, Chicago, 111.
Works: Barre,Vt.


Art of the Netherlands and Germany

A series of 500 subjects. 1,000 subjects on Italian Art and 500 on Greek and
Roman Sculpture (von Mach). Size, 5^2 x 8 inches. 1 cent each, or 80 cents
per hundred. Send 2-cent stamp for catalogue

BUREAU OF UNIVERSITY TRAVEL 16 Trinity Place, Boston, Mass-

HONOLULU and the VOLCANO
THE TRIP MOST COMPELLING and worthwhile, excell-
ing all others for novelty and pleasure. The volcano of Kilauea
—the largest in the world—is tremendously active. It is now
possible to make this desirable trip with SPEED and comfort,
and the price is low, J110 first class, San Francisco to Honolulu
and back, and $45.50 for side trip from Honolulu to volcano, in-
cluding rail and auto to Kilauea, hotel at Hilo, also Volcano
House. No other trip compares with this. Be sure to visit the
island, and DO IT NOW, while the volcano is active. S. S.
SIERRA (10,000 tons displacement) sails Nov. 25, Dec. 16,
Jan. 6, Jan. 27. Write or wire Oceanic S. S. Co., 673 Market
Street, San Francisco.

Clark’s Orient Cruise
STEAMER “ARABIC”
Feb. 8, $400 up for 71 days. All shore
excursions included
Itinerary includes Madeira, Spain. Algiers, Malta. Athens,
Constantinople, Holy Land, Egypt (the Nile), Italy, the
Riviera, etc. Stop-overs in Europe.
ROUND THE WORLD TOURS. Nov. 18, Dec. 9, Jan. 20
FRANK C. CLARK. Times Buildinr, New York

SHUTS IN THE WARMTH IN WINTER
SHUTS OUT THE HEAT IN SUMMER
KEEPS OUT DAMPNESS
CHECKS THE SPREAD OF FIRE
DEADENS NOISES
MAKES WALLS AND FLOORS PROOF
AGAINST RATS, MICE AND VERMIN
SAMPLE AND DESCRIPTIVE CIRCULAR ON REQUEST

WALL AND
FLOOR, SHOW¬
IN G USE OF
MINERAL WOOL

MINERAL WOOL
THE MODERN HOUSE LINING

U. S. MINERAL WOOL CO., 90 WEST STREET, NEW YORK
1 - ■ — - - ... _ .


“Materials for Permanent Paint-
ing,” by Maximillian Toch (D. Van Nos-
trand Company, New York, $2.00).
The author of this interesting mono-
graph has felt that painters and picture
dealers should know, in more or less scien-
tific terms, the composition of the mate-
rials used in the production of a picture.
A glance at the text will show the painter
who is working to be an “immortal ” that,
perhaps, many of his canvases will be
cracked beyond any hope of preservation,
possibly before his death, while the con-
scientious dealer and collector need only
look at the micro-photographic photo-
graphs showing various kinds of cracks in
paintings, accompanied by diagrams and
analyses, to see that at last he may be able
to detect for himself many artificial cracks
in spurious “old masters.”
The author further points out that the
cause for much unsuccessful painting of
today is laid by the artists to the fact that
the science of making colors, as understood
in the days of the great old masters, is lost,
rather than that the modern painter does
not trouble himself to understand the basic
composition of the colors which he buys
ready made. Mr. Toch says that the col-
ors of today are really far better than those
used by the ancients, and that the diffi-
culty lies with the tendency of manufac-
turers to make fugitive colors rather
than permanent ones. With commend-
able modesty the author deprecates the
fact that he writes largely from the point of
view of the chemist, and hopes that some
day a man who is both a color chemist and
a painter will write a final word on the
subject.
Mr. Toch, however, approaches the
question in a very interesting vein, and
seems (with no small amount of justifica-
tion) shocked at the ignorance of practi-
cally all artists and the indifference of prac-
tically all art schools to this basic side of
painting.
He says, in the preface: “. . . I was
very much astonished to find that in the
art schools of the various countries no at-
tention whatever is paid to the chemistry
of colors. A painter should be aware that
certain pigments are affected by the fumes
arising from vegetables in a dining-room,
and these fumes form chemical compounds
with certain pigments, and a painter should
likewise know that the atmosphere of large
cities is contaminated with • acid gases
which are absent in smaller places, and
which did not exist before the age of the-
burning of coal as a fuel.”
In order to determine the permanency of
certain colors, for which purpose a test of
three months’ exposure to bright sunshine
is usually considered sufficient, the author
pursued many tests involving an exposure
of over five years.
Mr. Toch also spent some time in making;
a collection of the various materials used
by the ancient color makers. With these,
many of them semi-precious metals, quite-
difficult, to procure- and prepare, he com-
pounded fairly exact reproductions of the-
pigments used by the-ancients.
The book is a. discussion of various ex-
tensive experiments and tests on the part
of the author, many of them extending over
long periods of years; and the facts and sug-
gestions contained in its pages should make-
it a valuable acquisition for any one called
.upon to work in or, judge of the various-
media of the painter.’s- palette.