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sition or production." "And since the necessity for, and the practice of, the artist's preparing his own materials have ceased, it is the more essential that he should be enabled by precept to select, appreciate, and understand the pigments and vehicles he employs."

EASTLAKE'S "Materials for a History of Oil Painting," is a learned investigation "to trace the recorded practice of oil painting from its invention; and by a comparison of authentic traditions with existing works, to point out some of the causes of that durability for which the earlier examples of the Art are remarkable." The work contains a vast amount of interesting matter, concerning "the processes, which were adopted at different times in certain schools, without entering into the discussion of their comparative merits"-consequently the reader is left pretty much to form his own conclusions from this conflicting mass of "documentary evidence."

The Art of Painting is sufficiently difficult in all the circumstances of invention, composition, design, drawing, anatomy, perspective, light and shade, character and expression,-without suffering by embarrassment and doubt in regard to the materials and mechanism of the Art, which, however, are as important to the most talented artist, as good materials and tools, and modes of using them, are for the construction of watches or steam engines. Nor will the pride or vanity of the artist most gifted in these preeminent qualities, which confer on him the title of genius, have reason to despise or neglect any assistance which may be offered in the choice of his instruments or the materials he would employ. He must learn from the manufacturer their composition; from the chemist their mutual action; and the facilities of their application, and their durability, from the records of an experimental artist, who may have consumed in this investigation time that otherwise might have been devoted to higher attainments; for much of the time employed in experiments is necessarily abstracted from that which might be engaged in the productive practice of an Art which demands, if possible, the whole mind. How important, then, that the genius of an artist, should not be distracted by the necessity of studying the nature of his materials, or be embarrassed with doubts of their efficacy or durability, or best modes of combination and application-merely from the want of authentic documents.

Had it been the practice of the painters of former ages freely to communicate what they had been taught, or had discovered by 


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their own researches, we should not now have to lament our ignorance of what constituted Van Eyck's or the Venetian process; nor of many advantages which, it is evident from an inspection of their works were possessed by several painters of Holland and Italy. It was seldom that a student could purchase or procure the means of learning what was then called "the Art and Mystery of Painting," for much of it, in all ages, was kept as a mystery; and in doing those artists were not greatly to be blamed, considering the difficulties they had to surmount, the task of writing, and the little compensation they generally received; for it was seldom, till after death, that their works have risen into such reputation as to command great prices: and then solely for the benefit of picture dealers-a class of men who are disposed to undervalue all living merit.

Whilst we have to lament that no painters of celebrity, have left any records of their methods, it is some satisfaction that a little insight into their mysteries is afforded by some remarks of their friends. Apelles is celebrated for the perfection of his colouring, which Pliny ascribes chiefly to his use of a glazing material he calls Atramentum: among the writings of DAVINCI none have been preserved that are of use to the colourist: a few maxims by RUBENS, in a short paragraph, are repeated, without any certain information of his vehicles or process of colouring: VANDYKE has written nothing; but from his friend de Mayerne, a physician, we learn his process of purifying linseed oil: and Eastlake, in his history of oil painting, quotes some notes by REYNOLDS recently discovered, which obscurely indicate some of his experiments; evidently written for his own use, and to be kept secret from others; and his biographer, Northcote, although his favourite pupil professes to know but little of the ultimate results of his experiments.

It is a circumstance worthy of notice, that the method and practice of VANDYKE are scantily recorded by de Mayerne, who appears to have enjoyed some privilege of the artist's painting room: VANDYKE certainly did not freely communicate his knowledge for the physician to record; or we should not now be so much in doubt respecting the materials, vehicles and methods of [[crossed-out]] REYNOLDS [[/crossed-out]] Rubens as VANDYKE was the confidential pupil and companion of the great colourist.

The experience of the painter is not restricted to his most successful operations, which are the objects of his inquiry, and the goal