DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1311#0183
OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRY. 151
a candlestick before, at least in England; namely, a painting on glass. But notwith-
standing the anomaly of such an addition, the effect was decidedly good. The picture
represented the interior of a Swedish dwelling-house, with groups of figures variously
employed, the frame being formed of the foliage of the tree beneath. The whole was
formed in chiselled silver, and displayed considerable taste in execution, not to say
genius in design.
CHAPTER XXI.
ARTISTS' IMPLEMENTS.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS—MILLER—ROWNEY AWD CO.—KEARNEY—R0F.ERS0N AND CO.—BEEVES
AND SOS"—WAX COLOURS—BLACK LEAD PENCILS—GERMAN PENCILS—GREEN AND FAHEY—
COOK—HAEYEY—WATSON—CHEAP FRAMES—GEAR, COMPOSITION FOR IVORY—SIE W. NEWTON
—MINIATURES—WINSOR AND NFWTON, CHEMICALS—ACKEEMANN AND CO.— GRUNDY.
From the earliest history of painting, we learn that artists were invariably in the habit of
mixing their own colours and making their own brushes. This practice has continued
within comparatively a few years of our own time. For information with reference to
the former fact, we would refer to Mrs. Merrifield's elegant translation of Cennino
Cennini's Treatise on Painting, which was contributed to our art literature in 1844, and
deserves to be extensively known. There are but few, if any, of our artists who now
grind or temper their colours, but they, on the contrary, prefer purchasing them from the
colourmen ready for use. This practice forms a new era in art, and it may be one of
considerable consequence to its progress. The artists, it must be admitted, thus gain
some advantage over the old method; although that knowledge of the properties of each
colour, its durability or fugaciousness, with which the masters of old were necessarily
acquainted, is by this course, in most cases, denied to the moderns. So seductive is this
plan, that even the artists of Italy, of Holland, &c, have, upon their arrival in England,
fallen into it. It is well known that Mr. Sang, amongst these, when he left Rome for
England, partook of the system generally adopted here. This facility he found to his
cost not always advisable with regard to every colour; and he had to fall back upon the
practice of his native country, and that of many of his Munich brethren in art, and he
prepares most of his media now himself, and hence that unrivalled brilliancy and trans-
parency of tints as exemplified in all those of his works painted within the last six years.
It may be questioned whether the performance of ancient pictures is not attributable to
the elaborate inlight of their painters into the nature of the pigments they made use of;
and, above all, to the simple manipulation of their works, and the few colours actually
enlisted into their service. It is obvious that the number of colours since the time
referred to has been considerably augmented; and now, as may be seen by any list pro-
curable at artists* warehouses, they amount to an aggregate almost sufficient to deter the
beginner from entering the lists of art. To those who would wish to make themselves
conversant with the several names and the properties of pigments, we would recommend
an attentive study of Mr. Field's Chromatopography, who, to a profound chemical research,
into the capacities of all colours for good or ill, adds much information invaluable to artists.
Upon matters of detail it must be obvious we should be necessarily terse; although it is
a candlestick before, at least in England; namely, a painting on glass. But notwith-
standing the anomaly of such an addition, the effect was decidedly good. The picture
represented the interior of a Swedish dwelling-house, with groups of figures variously
employed, the frame being formed of the foliage of the tree beneath. The whole was
formed in chiselled silver, and displayed considerable taste in execution, not to say
genius in design.
CHAPTER XXI.
ARTISTS' IMPLEMENTS.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS—MILLER—ROWNEY AWD CO.—KEARNEY—R0F.ERS0N AND CO.—BEEVES
AND SOS"—WAX COLOURS—BLACK LEAD PENCILS—GERMAN PENCILS—GREEN AND FAHEY—
COOK—HAEYEY—WATSON—CHEAP FRAMES—GEAR, COMPOSITION FOR IVORY—SIE W. NEWTON
—MINIATURES—WINSOR AND NFWTON, CHEMICALS—ACKEEMANN AND CO.— GRUNDY.
From the earliest history of painting, we learn that artists were invariably in the habit of
mixing their own colours and making their own brushes. This practice has continued
within comparatively a few years of our own time. For information with reference to
the former fact, we would refer to Mrs. Merrifield's elegant translation of Cennino
Cennini's Treatise on Painting, which was contributed to our art literature in 1844, and
deserves to be extensively known. There are but few, if any, of our artists who now
grind or temper their colours, but they, on the contrary, prefer purchasing them from the
colourmen ready for use. This practice forms a new era in art, and it may be one of
considerable consequence to its progress. The artists, it must be admitted, thus gain
some advantage over the old method; although that knowledge of the properties of each
colour, its durability or fugaciousness, with which the masters of old were necessarily
acquainted, is by this course, in most cases, denied to the moderns. So seductive is this
plan, that even the artists of Italy, of Holland, &c, have, upon their arrival in England,
fallen into it. It is well known that Mr. Sang, amongst these, when he left Rome for
England, partook of the system generally adopted here. This facility he found to his
cost not always advisable with regard to every colour; and he had to fall back upon the
practice of his native country, and that of many of his Munich brethren in art, and he
prepares most of his media now himself, and hence that unrivalled brilliancy and trans-
parency of tints as exemplified in all those of his works painted within the last six years.
It may be questioned whether the performance of ancient pictures is not attributable to
the elaborate inlight of their painters into the nature of the pigments they made use of;
and, above all, to the simple manipulation of their works, and the few colours actually
enlisted into their service. It is obvious that the number of colours since the time
referred to has been considerably augmented; and now, as may be seen by any list pro-
curable at artists* warehouses, they amount to an aggregate almost sufficient to deter the
beginner from entering the lists of art. To those who would wish to make themselves
conversant with the several names and the properties of pigments, we would recommend
an attentive study of Mr. Field's Chromatopography, who, to a profound chemical research,
into the capacities of all colours for good or ill, adds much information invaluable to artists.
Upon matters of detail it must be obvious we should be necessarily terse; although it is