FRESCO-PAINTING: PROCESS AND HISTORY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
London. 6th December 1841.
Sirt—The importance of Fresco-painting as a branch of art, the great names therewith connected, and the probable employment of it for the purpose of archi- tectural decoration in the New Houses of Parliament, induce me to transmit to you the following information derived from a German work of established re- putation. Some portion, printed in your journal of the 20th November, I am obliged to repeat, for the purpose of slight correction and of more complete connexion; and if I trespass by any apparent diffuseness, I trust I shall be ex- cused, as this will partly arise from a desire to impress clearly, not only the facts but the critical reasoning of the original upon the minds of your readers.
The process of Fresco-painting consists in this—A well-dried wall is covered over with one or two lines (about 1-16th of an inch thick) of a very care- fully-prepared mortar, made of fine river sand and old lime ; which serves as the ground of the painting, and possesses the property, so long as it is in a damp state, of fixing the colours applied to it without the aid of size or of any other medium ; so that neither when dry, nor by means of water, can they be effaced, but in the course of time become more completely united with the surface of the wall. This union of the pigment with the mortar, prepared as above, is not merely a mechanica/ adhesion, but a real chemical cohesion. For the lime, thus slacked in the wet mortar, has the peculiar property, during its drying or setting, of working to the surface, and, owing to the absorption of carbonic acid from the atmospheric air, to become there crystallized to a fine transpa- rent enamel, which the colouring matter, when applied, thoroughly penetrates, invests, and becomes itself so fixed. This crystallized surface, a kind of stalactite formation, is with difficulty soluble in water, and is not destroyed by other atmospheric influences; but by the continued chemical action of the car- bonic acid and moisture, it becomes as it were still further concreted, or harder and harder still. In this chemical union of the pigment with the lime, (which is applied to the mortar or to the colours themselves as a hydrat of lime, but which in the end at least partly passes into a carbonated neutral salt,) the condition now exists, that those pigments only can be employed which are not altered by caustic lime. On this account, therefore, not only is the use of vegetable and animal pigments in general excluded, but those even of the mineral kingdom which possess elementary properties in too great affinity with or liable to be decomposed by the lime; for else they not only lose their own former natural condition, but enter into a new secondary one with the lime, by which the colour becomes changed. Now as this fixing of the colour depends on the humidity contained in the coating of lime, so thinly spread, it follows that the laying on of this and the completion of the painting upon it can necessarily proceed but by degrees; and that only so much of the wall, there- fore, must be covered at a time as the painter is certain of finishing in one day. Colours applied afterwards could never durably unite with the ground on which the crystallized surface is already formed, as the communication between the colours and the solution of lime still contained in the mortar would cease. As the colours appear considerably darker (not, however, all equally so) before they are completely dry, it will be requisite for the most skilful artist to re- touch parts of the painting in distemper, to soften any harshness in outline or inequality that may exist. For the same reason, it is apparent that a well- balanced and finely-felt harmony of light and shade is not so attainable, as in an art where the painter has always before his eyes not only the true effect of that part of his work which is completed, but can retouch it, changing and labouring the colours as the effect requires, till by a gradual process of repaint- ing and blending the wished-for harmony is attained. Another peculiarity of Fresco-painting, and one much more important in its core-equences, is its entire want of all transparent and juicy colours ; so that shades of only moderate depth appear dry, dim, and deprived of that spirit of illusory truth so favoured by the use of colours mixed with rich vehicles. On the other hand, Fresco surpasses all other modes of painting in representing gradations of light. The deficiency of a pure crimson and bright red, caused by the exclusion of all vegetable dyes, is to be considered but as a secondary evil : it is one which in the later middle ages was remedied by superficial coatings of transparent colours in distemper. These remarks may tend to explain and to define the true character of this art' and hence to point out its more appropriate sphere. It is only by a clear and accurate comprehension and knowledge of its powers, character, and scope, that we can form a just criterion of what in modern times has been effected. Thus it is clear that Fresco is not adapted for any such branch of art as principally requires a magical effect of light, shade, and colour, or which, in short, aims at producing illusion: such aims should be as much as possible avoided, for attempts of this description are prejudicial and unjust ; creating hopes we cannot realize, and subversive of what is possible by attempts at impossible effect. Fresco essentially possesses the power of representing form and figure—all that can express thought, idea, character; and is perfectly adapted to any undertaking which acknowledges these as its legitimate object. If to this we add its extraordinary durability, and consider that not only is it con- nected but indissolubly united with the wall as the polish to the marble, we must then admit that it is the most suitable, if it be not the only style ap- propriate for monumental works, in which form and character predominate above the charms of light and colour, and which produce effect rather by the expression of thought than by an effusion of feeling allied to the style of lyric poetry. In short, Fresco can answer every requisition of art in its highest sphere ; whilst its very nature restrains it within judicious bounds, and shields it from all temptations to stray in those paths which are fatal to the highest tendency of art. So long as true art is exercised, so long as judgment is unprejudiced, .Fresco will be considered not as entirely subordinate to oil- painting, as neither of them could in all cages be compared with or sub- stituted for the other. Indeed, it is almost certain that the Encaustic painting, lately introduced in Munich for monumental works of art, (stontonentoka wandstakrei) as well as for the inferior system of decoration, must again give place to Fresco. It is objected, that the want of transparent dark colours, and the impossibility of producing deep and dark shades of great illusory effect, are fatal to its general employment. But this supposed imperfection (for it is no more) renders it the more appro- priate for designs upon a large scale ; which are in general so connected with Architecture that they seem to form one organic, congenial, and harmonious whole. Architecture gives the principal forms ; to enhven without destroying them is the task of Fresco-painting. Its subjects must make, therefore, no ap- peals to the illusions of the senses, nor aim at being mistaken for reality : the highest object should be poetical and artistical truth, in so far as this is attain- able without lowering its greatness of style ; in a word, the object is truth and not deception. When, however, Fresco united with Architecture has fulfilled the required end, (that is, of artistically enlivening the architectural forms, either spherical, cylindrical, or plain surfaces, without destroying their outline,) then the very impossibility of breaking the apparent surface of the wall by dwp deceptive shades, making the represented scene appear like reality, becomes a matter of appropriate consideration. We must seek for aid from an antago- nist power. This we find in the extraordinary light of the lime and of the colours united with it, which afford sufficient means to produce the requisite effect. Let it be assumed that the whole picture is several shades lighter than if executed in oil, or than even reality would be in a diffused light, yet the per- fect sufficiency of the means in question to obtain a satisfactory result with consistency and truth is not to be doubted, without the picture having the appearance of reality, or without changing and interrupting the effect of the entire architectural surface. And here, too, another advantage must not be overlooked, namely, that the space painted seems enlarged by light colours, and appears loftier, more free, and cheerful. The theory lhere explained is fully confirmed by the works of the middle ages, when painting had attained its highest degree of perfection, from the time of GIOTTO to RAPHAEL. All the celebrated artists of that period worked with the idea of decorating a given space with painting ; that is, to produce upon it works of art which were not to have an individual existence unconnected with the architectural design to which they were accessory, still less to appear as additions accidental, superfluous, and unmeaning. They considered their works as essential parts of a great or- ganic whole, aware that it was only thus they could produce an impression of completeness. They recognized also, as their object, that the higher claims of the art should not be sacrificed to capricious attempts at illusion. The abse71 custom of totally transforming and destroying the architectural surface by means of perspective and optical trick, so as apparently to raise the roof of a hall or church having a flat roof, to a cupola, 8re., commenced during the de- cline of the art under CORREGGIO, and is most remarkable at the period of Ait- DREA Pozzo and his contemporaries. The masters of the middle ages male no attempts to foreshorten their figures, (either when the horizon was low, or even on roofs); they avoided all such tricks, which could but have produced an unideal relation between nature and the imitations of art, and painted the sur- face as they would have done pictures in general. But in adopting these views, modern artists (and this almost without exception) fail not nnfrequently, by giving too deep a tone to their colours. It arises from this circumstance. Ac- customed to paint in oil, they seek to transfer to Fresco the effect of oil. This appears at first an insignificant mistake, but in reality it destroys every piin- ciple of Fresco. For the inevitable results of these attempts at impossible illu- sion are dry, dull, heavy shades, the destruction of the architectural surface, and finally, want of light and of equality of colour. Having now considered the process, the particular limits and powers of Fresco, it is requisite to give some general account of its present position as a branch of art. It has been frequently asserted, "that the secret of Fresco- painting was for a long time lost "; or, " that it remained entirely un- practised, until lately brought into use by the German artists at Rome." This opinion is unfounded. Fresco-painting may be traced to a very early period; it was never lost, but in a higher or lower degree of perfection it has been uninterruptedly employed. It is well known that the Italians and the Tyrolese use it extensively even to the present time in their churches, monasteries, and palaces ; so that the German painters can maintain no claim to its rediscovery. They may be said to have restored the art, inas- much as they have based it upon rational principles. They have sought, after the example of the masters of the fifteenth century, by pursuing what others have despised—the study of nature—to give it a place no less becoming than important in the interests of religion and life. To this merit the German painters are fully entitled. Aware of the sad decay of art, it was CansrEsrs and SCHICK who in the first instance strove earnestly to effect its restoration. But the times in which they lived were unpropitious. On the one hand, the most complete indifference of the public, on the part of artists and the patrons of art the most irrational love of novelty, neutralized their exertions. Their friends and followers, WiCEITER and Hoerr, have scarcely received more encou- ragement and support from their contemporaries. But to be just, we must not on this account too severely censure public opinion. The restoration of pure art would not have been so difficult had every one at once been capable of estimating the miserable and degraded condition into which it had sunk ; or even bad general discernment so far mastered former prejudices and errors that a complete re- form could have been pronounced both praiseworthy and requisite. But so great a change is not easily effected : excellence is not of momentary growth; nor is any method inherently bad, and once sanctioned by custom, so soon de- stroyed. This can happen but by degrees ; for by the progress of time, and thus only, C,LII we hope to gather an ultimate harvest from the seeds of improve- ment. And besides, this also is to be considered, that such sudden and gusty reformations are apt to rush from one extreme to another ; by which taste is perverted, genius is discouraged, and opposition to change and the very prin- ciple of change is increased. S.
(To be continued.)
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