DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62783#0122
54
FRESCO PAINTING.
The intonaco being equally spread, it will be proper to raise up the
small grains of sand with a brush, that the colours may adhere more
easily. This is called granire, and is especially necessary on large
works which are to be seen from a distance. The same preparation
can also be used for those which are to be seen close, but, in that
case, the roughness and inequality of the grain must be removed, by
laying a sheet of strong paper over the intonaco, and pressing it
moderately with the hand or a trowel, in order to press in the most
prominent grains of sand, and to flatten the surface.
Of the designs and cartoons.—Before beginning to paint, it
is necessary to prepare a small drawing or well-studied coloured
sketch, which the painter should always keep before him, that he
may have nothing to think of but the execution. A cartoon should
also be made as large as the picture intended to be painted, which
should be fixed against the wall in the place the picture is to occupy,
in order to detect the errors (if there be any) from a distance, and to
correct them.
Graticolare, or enlarging by squares.—When the places
to be painted are large, such as churches or saloons, or curved or
irregular vaulted ceilings, for which either the cartoons cannot be
made sufficiently large, or upon which they cannot be spread without
difficulty, it is necessary to use the grata,& which is very useful for
enlarging designs. The grata is particularly useful in perspective
drawing, especially on vaulted ceilings, and irregular surfaces, to
make an architectural design in perspective appear straight, flat, or
upright. The small design must first be divided into squares, and
then the picture must be divided into the same number of larger
squares? After this, the painter, having considered what number of
squares he can paint in one day, as was said before, must cause the
wall to be carefully covered with the intonaco, marking the grata
(which had been covered over)? again on the fresh intonaco, that it
may guide him in drawing the outlines of the painting. If, after
a Vasari calls this rete, Malvasia, Graticola.
b The contents of each of the small squares are then copied into the corres-
ponding squares of the large cartoon.
c This was the usual practice of the school of Giotto, which does not appear
to have used large cartoons. See Cennino, Vasari, passim.
FRESCO PAINTING.
The intonaco being equally spread, it will be proper to raise up the
small grains of sand with a brush, that the colours may adhere more
easily. This is called granire, and is especially necessary on large
works which are to be seen from a distance. The same preparation
can also be used for those which are to be seen close, but, in that
case, the roughness and inequality of the grain must be removed, by
laying a sheet of strong paper over the intonaco, and pressing it
moderately with the hand or a trowel, in order to press in the most
prominent grains of sand, and to flatten the surface.
Of the designs and cartoons.—Before beginning to paint, it
is necessary to prepare a small drawing or well-studied coloured
sketch, which the painter should always keep before him, that he
may have nothing to think of but the execution. A cartoon should
also be made as large as the picture intended to be painted, which
should be fixed against the wall in the place the picture is to occupy,
in order to detect the errors (if there be any) from a distance, and to
correct them.
Graticolare, or enlarging by squares.—When the places
to be painted are large, such as churches or saloons, or curved or
irregular vaulted ceilings, for which either the cartoons cannot be
made sufficiently large, or upon which they cannot be spread without
difficulty, it is necessary to use the grata,& which is very useful for
enlarging designs. The grata is particularly useful in perspective
drawing, especially on vaulted ceilings, and irregular surfaces, to
make an architectural design in perspective appear straight, flat, or
upright. The small design must first be divided into squares, and
then the picture must be divided into the same number of larger
squares? After this, the painter, having considered what number of
squares he can paint in one day, as was said before, must cause the
wall to be carefully covered with the intonaco, marking the grata
(which had been covered over)? again on the fresh intonaco, that it
may guide him in drawing the outlines of the painting. If, after
a Vasari calls this rete, Malvasia, Graticola.
b The contents of each of the small squares are then copied into the corres-
ponding squares of the large cartoon.
c This was the usual practice of the school of Giotto, which does not appear
to have used large cartoons. See Cennino, Vasari, passim.