The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)

Chapter 95: CHAP. 39.—THE EMPLOYMENT OF CINNABARIS IN PAINTING.

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

An encyclopedic survey that first catalogs marine animals, algae, and shellfish, describing habitats, curious behaviors, reported antipathies, and numerous folk remedies and practical uses attributed to specific species, organized by ailments and applications. The later portion treats metals and their ores—including gold, silver, mercury, copper, and brass—describing modes of occurrence, extraction, alloying, testing, gilding, and decorative and monetary uses, alongside technical observations and medicinal remedies derived from metallic substances, with systematic lists and practical instructions interwoven throughout.

CHAP. 39.—THE EMPLOYMENT OF CINNABARIS IN PAINTING.

The ancients used to paint with cinnabaris 1011 those pictures of one colour, which are still known among us as “monochromata.”1012 They painted also with the minium of Ephesus:1013 but the use of this last has been abandoned, from the vast trouble which the proper keeping of the picture entailed. And then besides, both these colours were thought to be too harsh; the consequence of which is, that painters have now adopted the use of rubrica 1014 and of sinopis, substances of which I shall make further mention in the appropriate places.1015

Cinnabaris 1016 is adulterated by the agency of goats’ blood, or of bruised sorb-apples. The price of genuine cinnabaris is fifty sesterces per pound.