FRESCO PAINTING

a method of mural painting in water-colours on wet and caustic grounds of lime. Mineral or earth pigments are eimployed, which resist the chemical action of lime. Im drying, as the plaster absorbs carbonic acid from the air and hardens, the colours are incorporated with the plaster, and are thereby rendered as permanent as itself. In producing fresco paintings, a finished drawing on paper, called a cartoon, exactly the size of the intended picture, is first made, to serve asa model. The artist then has a limited portion of the wall covered with plaster, and upon this he traces from his cartoon the part of the design intended for the space. As it is nece ary to the succe and permanency of his work that the colours should be applied while the plaster is damp, no more of the surface is plastered at one time than what the artist can finish in one day. A portion of the picture once begun, needs to be completely finished before leaving’ it, as fresco does not admit of retouching after the plaster has become dry. On completing a day’s work, any unpainted part of the plaster is removed, cutting it neatly along the outline of a figure or other definite form, so that the joining of the plaster for the next day’s work may be concealed. The art is very ancient, remains of it being found in Crete, Egypt, India, Greece, and Mexico. Examples of Roman frescoes are found in Pompeii and elsewhere. After the beginning of the fifteenth century fresco painting became the principal proce used by the greatest Italian masters, until it was displaced by the use of oil paint; an intermediate stage being the use of oil or tempera ona fresco foundation. Fresco Secco is distinguished from true or buon fresco by being executed on dry plaster, which is moistened with lime-water before the colours are applied. In spirit fresco a wax and varnish medium is used to apply colour to a dry plaster ground. Fresco painting has in recent years again been revived, and works of this kind have been executed in the British Houses of Parliament and other public and private buildings, especially in Germany.