The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-06-01

pended great deal of research on the
subject, and Davy was fortunate in Sc
curing certain vessels containing pig
ments which were discovered during
the excavations of the Baths of Titus
at Rome. On analyzing them he found
them to correspond to the paints used
in frescoing the walls Of the Baths.
The whites he found to consist prin-
cipally of chalk and clay-the first
corresponding practically to our mod.
ern whitewash; the black was chiefly
carbon, comparable to modern lamp
black, or perhaps more closely to what
is known as drop-black; the yellows
were ochres mixed with chalk and
with red lead probably native mineral
lead oxide,) and sulphide of arsenic,
known as orpiment, which also occurs
as native mineral, as does litharge,
which was found in another of the
yellows examined by Davy; Among
other was an iron oxide (hematite,) a
third proved to be red ochre, and a
fourth was cinnabar Ia native vermi-
lion,) while still another was COM
posed of silica, alumina and lime COL
ored with vegetable or animal dye
The principal blue examined proved to
be silicate iof lime and soda colored
with copper carbonate, though the
beautiful lapis-laZuli blue was also
used to some extent. The greens ex-
ahmed by Davy were all copper car
Donate (malachite green}.
The description of these pigments
and of their examination by Davy and
others is very Interestingly set forth
ing" by Riffault, published about 1860.
Tho 20 noonc tfnnrrlo IF Turo xuhioh
by the way, was not purple but GRIM
son, was said to have been discovered
at Tyre about 1900 B. G. The secret
of its source and method of prepare
tion was lost to the Christian world
for many centuries, until about 1858,
when it was discovered by an Irish
linen marker to be derived from GER
tain sea shell (buccinum;) and in 1859
De Jussien found in France another
variety of buccinum, which yielded
the same dye. 1t has since been dis
covered in the murex as we'll as in 9TH
erS of the buccina family.
Other investigators have found
among the ancient paintings several
are still familiar; umbers and siennas,
raw and burnt; calcium sulphate OF
gypSum-kalsomine; terra verte and va.
rious earth colors; and there is reason
to suspect that to certain extent the
use of dyes in making lake colOrs was
understood.
But the ancients, and in fact the
moderns also until within a compare
lively short period, used paints almost
exclusively for decorative purposes; II
remained for the modern world tC
take advantage of the protective val
ne of paints. In fact the paints which
we are considering could have had
very little value in giving protection
whom we have been quoting are
agreed that the vehicles used for mix
ing them was generally gum or size
soluble in water. 1t is to the artists
of Europe, who during the period OF
the Renaissance discovered the prop
critics of drying oils that we are in
dehted for our modern protective and
decorative house paints. While theil
use of it was entirely esthetic, theil
discovery has been utilized to the full
est extent, and at the present day the
United States alone produces annual
~ between twenty and thirty million
bushels Of flaxseed. nearly all of which
is used in the production of linSeed oil
of which more than half goes into the
preparation of paints and varniShes
Or the ancient pigments few, like
orpiment, cinnabar, native red leaC
and litharge and lapis lazuli, have beer
replaced by artificial products which
are more uniform in color and better
adapted for their use; but the ancient
earth cOlorS are still the principa
browns, reds and bluffs of common use
To these have been added an infin
lite number vi chemical and other pig
ments which place at the command Of
the paint manufacturer vast latitude
for selection, and within the reach Of
the paint consumer an endless variety
of colors, tints, and shades. The va
riety of beautiful lakes produced from
into the thousands.
When we realize the difficulty which
the antique painters must have en-
cOuntered in obtaining and preparing
their cOlOrS. and when we read the Gu
rious recipes left by the great artists
of Europe, it is almost impossible tt
conceive how, labOring under such dir
ficulties, with such Scant knowledge
they were able to attain such wonder
full results. AS DR. johnson said O.
the dog that stood upright, the won
der is not that they did 1T so we'll, but
that they did it at all.
To-day the farmer can 60 to bis Stor'
and pick from the shelf any tint or va
riety of paint he fancies, and thu
chances are that it will be in man,
ways better paint than Leonardo d.
Vinci could make or buy; and who'll
gallon of it will cost him less than i
cost Leonardo to prepare gill Of dry
ing oil.