CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I.-FRESCO-PAINTING.

Its Revival by the German Painters-Why it should be pre-

ferred to Oil-Cartoons and Sketches of Colours necessary

-The Construction and Preparation of the Wall-Selection

of the Lime-Constitution of different Limes-Reduction

of the Causticity of the Lime-The Nature of Lime-Slak-

ing and Preparation of the Lime-The Composition of the

Plaster or Mortar for the Ground-Implements-Colours-

Process of Painting-Preparation of Tints, &c.-Methods

resembling Fresco in Effect-Works on Fresco-Painting

CHAPTER II.-ENCAUSTIC.

The Antiquity of the use of Wax against Atmospheric Corro-

sion-The Nature of the Ancient Encaustic Painting-The

Researches of Count Caylus and M. Bachelier-Experiments

of Chev. Lorgna-Count Caylus's Explanation of a Passage

in Pliny-Caylus's Method-Preparation of Grounds-Pre-

paration of Tints-Retouching-Mode of Developing Pic-

ture by Heat-Virtues of Encaustic Painting-Comparative

Power of Colours in Oil and Wax to Resist Change -

Werner of Neustadt's Method-Mrs. Hooker's Method-A

Recent Method-Works upon Encaustic Painting

CHAPTER III.-MOSAIC.

The Nature of Mosaic-Its Durability-Dr. Salviati's Revival

of the Art-Mosaic first used in the East-The Art amongst

the Greeks and Romans Preserved by the Byzantine

Greeks-Italian Mosaics-Remains of Ancient Mosaics-

List of Artists in Mosaic-Works upon Mosaic

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74

PAGR

CHAPTER IV.-OIL-PAINTING.

Why Introduced in a Work upon Mural Painting-The Effect

of the Invention of Oil-Painting upon Art-The Gradual

Decline of the Influence of Architecture upon Painting-

The Method of the Old Masters Lost-Want of System in

its Present Practice-Transparency in Oil-Painting-Opacity

or Solidity in Oil-Painting-Painting into Wet White and

into a Glaze upon White Grounds-Impasto-What to avoid

-Painting upon Distemper Grounds-Works upon Oil-

Painting

106

CHAPTER V.-WATER-GLASS.

Inventor's Preface - Sec. 1. Various kinds of Water-Glass,

and their Manufacture-Sec. 2. Special Application of the

Water-Glass

123

APPENDIX.

-

Report of D. Maclise, Esq., R.A., on the "Water-Glass," or

"Stereochromic" Method of Painting-Works upon Paint-

ing Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Ger-

man—On the History of Painting in General-On the State

of Painting amongst the Greeks and Romans-The Lives of

Painters On Taste - Dictionaries - Preservation of Pic-

tures-List of Painters-List of Existing Mural Paintings 187

ON

MURAL DECORATION.

INTRODUCTION.

THE AIM OF MURAL OR MONUMENTAL PAINTING.

ARCHITECTURAL magnificence has invariably been the exponent, as well as one of the most enduring monuments, of a nation's tendencies-the invariable exponent, because national art is inevitably stamped by the ruling influence, be it religion, commerce, or arms, which sways the whole thoughts and activity of a people.

Egyptian art, in its ponderous temples, tombs, and pyramids-constructed of the most enduring materials-its lavish hieroglyphics painted and incised, no less than the custom of embalming dusky generations, exhibits that love of perpetuation which consistently belonged to a nation teaching the doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul. There is about Egyptian relatively to Greek, and Roman monumental art too, a basic character correspond

B

ing with that which Egyptian teaching bore to the philosophies and civilizations which sprang out of it.

The simplicity, harmony, and balanced proportion of Grecian monumental art indicate the nation's aspirations after the perfect idea, its belief in the Phidian power of education gradually to mould a people intellectually and physically to an ideal standard, and to form the rough plastic humanity into men-heroes. The whole product of Grecian thought bears the stamp of high culture upon it, in its moderation, its completeness; and the intellectual precedence of antiquity is given to the nation which enthroned the Parthenon on a rock, which made its Temple to Wisdom a beacon seaward, and to the ages a very palace of art, compelling us to confess that the ancients, in this respect at least, attained to an excellence which we, with all our boasted progress, seem only doomed to beat about and fall short of.

How different the Roman to the Grecian monuments! for although the Romans frequently enlisted Grecian artists in their service, they either imperiously compelled or corrupted their taste, which, forced from its native purity, became ostentatious and florid in its adopted expression. There still remain triumphal arches, temples, arenas, camps, military roads, theatres, baths, and mural decorations on which lust of conquest, is indelibly branded. Rome, imperious in her strength,