Merrifield, Mary P.: The art of fresco painting, as practised by the old Italian and Spanish masters, with a preliminary inquiry into the nature of the colours used in fresco painting: with observations and notes (London: Charles Gilpin, 1846)

IN FRESCO PAINTING.

XXV

time, was not a painter himself; he was not, therefore, likely to be
acquainted with the practical details of painting. In the second
book of the Riposo, he has borrowed largely from Cennino. In
many cases he has given a literal version of Cennino’s text, and in
others quite a paraphrase, although without having the honesty to
acknowledge whence he derived his information; indeed it is remark -
kable, as Sig. Tambroni observes in the preface to Cennino’s Trea-
tise, that Borghini does not once mention Cennino’s name although
it is evident, he had read great part of his work. Cennino does
not assert that Amatito was mineral cinnabar, his expression is
merely, “ ha un tiglio come cinabro.”
In the note to chap. 42. of my translation of Cennino’s Treatise
on Painting, I have expressed an opinion, that Amatito was mineral
cinnabar, but having since investigated the subject, I am convinced
that I was mistaken.
At first sight, the resemblance between the two minerals is suffi-
ciently striking to warrant the conclusion. The colours of both
varied between dark grey and red, both are fibrous, and yield a red
powder when pulverized; but, there the resemblance ceases; Mine-
ral Cinnabar is soft,® Amatito is hard : see the descriptions of native
or Mineral Cinnabar in Ure, Phillips, and Jameson. Moreover,
Amatito can only be used in fresco, Cinnabar is incompatible with lime.
The best proofs, independently of the direct assertion of Geo.
Agricola, before noticed, are, however, to be derived from the works
of writers on painting.
Borghini (Riposo p. 167) says, that Cinnabar was first procured
from the quicksilver mines of Spain. He afterwards gives a recipe
for making artificial Cinnabar. He adds that both kinds were used
for painting in oil.
Paolo Lomazzo, in his treatise on painting (Lib. 3, Chap. 4)
mentions two kinds of Cinnabar, namely, the mineral or native, and
the artificial. In the same chapter he enumerates among the arti-
ficial pigments, Cinnabar, except the native Cinnabar (il cinabro
a Pliny indeed speaks of a kind of native Cinnabar brought from Spain, but
he adds, that “ it was hard and full of sand,” and that also brought from Colchis
was bard “ and not better than that of Spainand he evidently disapproved of
both kinds.—Book xxxiii, p. 325.