Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PICTURA. PICTUPRA. 905
for instance by Statius (Sylv. i. 1. 100),'" Apelleae the colours designed for this species of painting
cuperentte scribere cerae." The sponge (o-roy-yla, were also variously prepared, and those which
spopgia), spoken of by Pliny and other writers in were suited for one style mav have been quite unlconnection with painting, affords some proof that fit for another. All these styles, however, are
painting in water colours was the method generally comparatively simple, compared with that of Paupractised by the ancient painters; which is also sias, in wax with the cestrum, " cera, cestro;" and
corroborated by the small vessel placed close to the it is difficult for a modern practitioner to underpalette or table of the portrait-painter of the Casa stand howv a large and valuable picture could be
Carolina of Pompeii, evidently for the purpose of produced by such a method; unless these colours
washing his siIngle brush in. Seneca (Ep. 121. 5) or cerae, which painters of this class, according to
notices the- facility and rapidity with which a Varro (I. c.), kept in partitioned boxes, were a
painter takes and lays on his colours. That wax species of wax crayons, which were worked upon
or resins may be used as vehicles in water colours the panel with the broad end of the cestrum
has been already mentioned. (which may have had a rough edge) within an outThe origin of encaustic painting is unknown. It line or monogranm, previously drawn or cut in, with
was practised in two ways with the cestrum, the pointed end, and were afterwards fixed, and
namlely, in wax and on ivory; and in a third man- toned or blended by the action of the cauterium.
ner with the pencil. The last method, according Painters were in the habit of inscribing the word
to Pliny, was applied chiefly to ship-painting; the Eve'avoev, " burnt it in," upon pictures execulted
colours were laid on hot. His words are, —" En- in encaustic, as Nuclas fveKavrce, Auvsr ros e,-ecausto pingendi duo fuisse antiquitus genera con- savorsE. (Plin. II. 1. xxxv. 10, 39.)
stat, cera, et in ebore, cestro id est n-iriculo, donec VIII. loiclschrosy. The practice of varnishing
classes pingi coepere. Hoc tertiun accessit, reso- and polishing marble statues has been already incilutis igni ceris penicillo utendi, quae picture in dentally noticed. The custom was very general;
navibus nec sole nec sale ventisque corrumpitur." ancient statues were also often painted, and what
(H. N. xxxv. 41.) This passage, from its concise- is now termed polychrome sculpture was very conmiless, presents many difficulties. "Cera, cestro," that mon in Greece, for the acrolithic and the chrysis, in wax with the cestrum; this was the method elephantine statues were both of this description.
of Pausias: " in ebore, cestro;" this must have Many works of the latter class, which were of exbeen a species of drawing with a hot point, upon traordinary magnificence and costliness, are deivory, for it was, as is distinctly said, without wax, scribed by Pausanias. The term polychromy, thus
C' cera, et in ebore." The third method, " resolutis applied, was apparently unknown to the ancients
igni ceris penicillo utendi," though first employed this species of painting is called by Plutarch
on ships, was not necessarily confined to ship- (De Glor. Atden. 6) &-yaAAd-oTr cy'7cavous, and appainting; and if the assertion of Pliny is correct, pears to have been executed by a distinct class of
it must have been a very different style of painting artists (.yaaxdrsTv EyyKav'ra-l). They are menfrom the ship-colouring of Homer, since he says it tioned also by Plato (De Republ. iv. 420. c.), ol
was of a later date than the preceding methods. a&vpldvras ypdPorTes: and if it is certain that
The " inceramenta navium " of Livy, and the Krpo- Plato here alludes to painting statues, it is clear
ypatpia of Athenaeus, mentioned above, may have that they were occasionally entirely painted, in
been executed in this third method of Pliny; the exact imitation cf nature; for he expressly reuse of the cauterium, or process of burning in, is marks, that it is not by applying a rich or beautiful
iere not alluded to, but since he defined encauistic to colour to any particular part, but by giving its
be "ceris pingere ac picturam inurere" (HI. N. xxxv. local colour to each part, that the whole is made
39), its employment may be understood in this case beautiful (aXk' &OppeL el a 7rpoo'iptoVra Eioo'rorS
also. It is difficult, however, to understand what a&Iros8L rees,'r hoAso Kasbv 7roLoO/uev).. That this
effect the action of the cauteritum could have in the was, however, not a general practice, is evident
second method (in ebore, cestro), which was without from the dialogue between Lycinns and Polywax. It would appear, therefore, that the definition stratus, in Lucian (locag. 5-8), wvhere it is clearly,
alluded to is the explanation of the first mentioned though indirectly, stated, that the Venus of Cinimethod only; and it is probable that the ancient dus by Praxiteles, and other celebrated statues,
methods of painting in encaustic were not only were not coloured, although they may have been
three, but several; the /caLets of Vitruvius, men- ornamented in parts and covered with an encaustic
tioned also by himself, is a fourth, and the various varnish.
modes of ship painting add others to the number. The practice of colouring statues is undoubtedly
Pliny (H. 1N. xvi. 23) himself speaks of " zopissa," as ancient as the art of statuary itself; although
a composition of wax and pitch, which was scraped they were perhaps originally coloured more from a
from ships; and it is difficult to suppose that the -love of colour than from any design of improving
higher class of encaustic was practised with the the resemblance of the representation. The Jupiter
cestrumn only, since the pencil is such an infinitely of the Capitol, placred by Tarquinius Priscus, was
more efficient instrument for the proper mixing and coloured with minlium. (Plin. HI. N. xxxv. 45.) In
application of colours. (KEpdaeOeaL Trai XpC6Ua-ra, later times the custom seems to have beenl reduced
scal evappo,'rromeioOas r-,' E'7rloAv jaV'Te, Lucian, to a system, and was practised with nmore reserve.
Imag. 7. vol. ii. p.. 465, R.) The wax painting Considerable attention also seems to have been
on the fictile vases, mentioned by Athenaeus (v. paid to the effect of the object as a work of art.
p. 200. 6), can have been scarcely executed with Praxiteles being asked which of his marble workls
the cestrum; and it is also unlikely that it was he most admired, answvered, those which Nicias had
done with hot colours, as the painting of the " fig- had a hand in, " quibus Nicias manum adinoliniumi opus " mentioned by Pliny (H. lN. xxxvi. visset," so much, says Pliny (H. N. xxxv. 40), did
64) may have been. But as there were various he attribute to his circumilitio. Nicias, therenethods of painting in encaustic, it follows that fore, who painted in encaustic, seems iin disy outh