DOI Heft:
No. 357 (December 1922)
DOI Artikel:Batten, John D.: The practice of tempera paintings
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21396#0326
THE PRACTICE OF TEMPERA PAINTING
Of course it is a dangerous thing, if we
suppose our little knowledge to be great
knowledge, but we need not be such fools
as that. The great value of a little know-
ledge is, that it is the key to another man's
great knowledge. The more learned a
man is, the more willing he is to com-
municate, but you must know enough of
his language to understand what he is
telling you. If you are perplexed (as one
must needs be) by the action of the lime
plaster in fresco, you do well to ask a
chemist, and if you can just understand
his language he will tell you a heap of
things, but if, when he speaks of oxide of
calcium and hydrate of calcium, he per-
ceives that the words convey no hint of
meaning to your mind, that chokes him off.
You cannot expect him to begin at the
alphabet. Educationally, I am all in favour
of a large bunch of little keys. 0 0
So now we have a great wealth of
Science in books and in the minds of the
learned, but in the minds of the craftsmen
a greater poverty of science than can be
recorded for many centuries. The first
task of education to-day is to bridge this
gulf. 0 0 0 0 0 0
(z'z) And that brings me to the second
reason of our ignorance. We have for-
gotten how much there is that we need
to learn that cannot be taught by words.
The look and feel of things. a 0
The materials of the painter's craft,
wall plaster, panel, canvas, gesso, pigment,
tempera and varnish, need to be learned
by handling, just as much as iron or copper,
oak or pine. But every opportunity of
handling that we could shirk we have
shirked. Everything that could be done
has been done to save pains. We shall
bring nothing to birth that way. 0 0
There are many things that we have to
leave to others, notably the making of the
pigments. A few pigments you can dig
up with a spade. I believe there is a fine
kind of yellow ochre to be found not far
from Oxford. But most of the pigments
we employ are made, as Cennino says,
of vermilion, by " alchemy in an alembic."
Only, whatever operation lies within the
power of our hands, let us be jealous in
our hold of it. a 0 0 a
Look now at the training of a painter
in Cennino's time. 000
306
" Know that you cannot learn to paint in less time
than thus. In the first place you must study drawing
for at least one year on tablets, then you must remain
with a master, at the workshop, who understands
working in all parts of the Art ; you must begin
with grinding colours, and learn to boil down glues,
to acquire the practice of laying grounds on panels,
to work in relief upon them, to rub them smooth and
to gild, and this for six years. Afterwards to practise
colouring, to adorn with mordants, to make cloths of
gold and to be accustomed to paint on walls for six
more years. Always drawing without intermission,
either on holidays or workdays." (Ch. CIV.) 0
" THE SCARLET SQUIRREL "
TEMPERA PAINTING BY
MAXWELL ARMFIELD
Of course it is a dangerous thing, if we
suppose our little knowledge to be great
knowledge, but we need not be such fools
as that. The great value of a little know-
ledge is, that it is the key to another man's
great knowledge. The more learned a
man is, the more willing he is to com-
municate, but you must know enough of
his language to understand what he is
telling you. If you are perplexed (as one
must needs be) by the action of the lime
plaster in fresco, you do well to ask a
chemist, and if you can just understand
his language he will tell you a heap of
things, but if, when he speaks of oxide of
calcium and hydrate of calcium, he per-
ceives that the words convey no hint of
meaning to your mind, that chokes him off.
You cannot expect him to begin at the
alphabet. Educationally, I am all in favour
of a large bunch of little keys. 0 0
So now we have a great wealth of
Science in books and in the minds of the
learned, but in the minds of the craftsmen
a greater poverty of science than can be
recorded for many centuries. The first
task of education to-day is to bridge this
gulf. 0 0 0 0 0 0
(z'z) And that brings me to the second
reason of our ignorance. We have for-
gotten how much there is that we need
to learn that cannot be taught by words.
The look and feel of things. a 0
The materials of the painter's craft,
wall plaster, panel, canvas, gesso, pigment,
tempera and varnish, need to be learned
by handling, just as much as iron or copper,
oak or pine. But every opportunity of
handling that we could shirk we have
shirked. Everything that could be done
has been done to save pains. We shall
bring nothing to birth that way. 0 0
There are many things that we have to
leave to others, notably the making of the
pigments. A few pigments you can dig
up with a spade. I believe there is a fine
kind of yellow ochre to be found not far
from Oxford. But most of the pigments
we employ are made, as Cennino says,
of vermilion, by " alchemy in an alembic."
Only, whatever operation lies within the
power of our hands, let us be jealous in
our hold of it. a 0 0 a
Look now at the training of a painter
in Cennino's time. 000
306
" Know that you cannot learn to paint in less time
than thus. In the first place you must study drawing
for at least one year on tablets, then you must remain
with a master, at the workshop, who understands
working in all parts of the Art ; you must begin
with grinding colours, and learn to boil down glues,
to acquire the practice of laying grounds on panels,
to work in relief upon them, to rub them smooth and
to gild, and this for six years. Afterwards to practise
colouring, to adorn with mordants, to make cloths of
gold and to be accustomed to paint on walls for six
more years. Always drawing without intermission,
either on holidays or workdays." (Ch. CIV.) 0
" THE SCARLET SQUIRREL "
TEMPERA PAINTING BY
MAXWELL ARMFIELD