of theni perfectly proportioueil.' Evidently Cennino
thought little of the fair sex, but, he says, dogmaticallj-,
' Man should be dark, and woman fair.' Of animals he
merely remarks, ' I do not speak of irrational animals,
because they appear to have no certain proportions ! '
What would Landseer ha'e said to him ?
That Cennino was a true artist himself, we see by his
dislike to any meanness where art is concerned. He
says, ' It is usual to adorn the walls with guided tin,
because it is less expensive than gold. Nevertheless
I give you this advice, that j'ou endeavour alwa3s to
use fine gold and good colours, particularly in painting
representations of Our Lad)'.' He says, however, that
people will find out 30U use good materials, and 3'ou
will get liro ducats instead of uiie for -painting a figure,
and you will know the meaning of the proverb, ' Good
work, good pay,' and even if j'ou should not be well
j)aid, ' God and Our Lady will reward your soul and bod)-
for it ' ! This advice, though given in the fifteenth
century, may surely not be considered quite useless
now.
But, knowing gilded tin was used, Cennino tells his
readers how to ])repare it, though he himself prefers
the stars and glories for saints' heads to be made of
fine gold. The stars are to be made with the help of
wax ; evidently quite in relief, and gilded afterwards ;
' glories,' however, are made of lime and the rags, with
the help of a stick of wood !
But all this is not learnt in a daj'. He begins his
fifth book by saying that j'ou must draw for one year ;
grind colours, boil glue, gild, etc., for six years in the
workshop ; paint on walls and linen cloths for six
years more ; and furthei', draw almijjx, on holy-days
and work-dajs, and do not believe men who sa)' you
can learn without a master ! This fearful heresy made
Cennino, who remembered his long service, shudder.
' If you do not study under some master, you will never be fit for anythuig,' he says, ' nor will you be able to show your face among the masters.' And tlien we have a touching little bit, which makes us see the difference between the old masters and our later schools : ' You must begin to paint your picture in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and, always invoking this name, and that of the glorious Virgin Mar)^,' you must go on to prepare various kinds of glue !
By the way, one of these glues is made of cheese, which sounds strange to us, but which, as Cennino used it, was doubtless good of its kind.
The laying on and the burnishing of gold is, of course, a great matter. The latter is best done with a stone called lapis aiiialislo, but if you have not got it use sapphires, emeralds, rubies, the better the stone the better the result, but the teeth of dogs, lions, wolves, cats, leopards are equally good, and so it must have been only the grand and rich master-painters who went to the expense of precious stones ! The proper gold to use is that which makes into a hundred leaves for the ducat, and not one hundred and forty-five leaves, and the gold-beaters will provide these. But laying on gold was a difficult process, and Cennino, who was particular about using good gold for good pictures, had yet an idea of economy, for he tells us that if you teach boys or children to gild, you had better let them begin by laying on silver until they have acquired some practice, because silver is less expensive than gold !
How to colour faces sends Cennino into a long ex- planation. The faces of young persons with fresh complexions must have a first tint made of verde terra and hiacca, and this must be tempered with the yolk of a luwii-laid egg (the egg, in fact), because the high-coloured yolks of eggs laid by country hens are only fit to colour faces of old and dark persons ! The ' bones of Christians, or other rational creatures,' are to be made flesh-colour ; but we are not told how the heathen are to be dealt with.
In chapter 16I we come to a most interesting detail, which brings out a fact perhaps not generally known. Cennino says, 'Sometimes in the course of your practice you will be obliged to paint flesh, especially faces of men and women.' He goes on to give directions about the mixing of colours necessary for this art, and then he wisely tells his pupils how the colour is to he got off again ! yolk of egg, bran water, and gentle rubbing being necessary.
But before leaving this strange though interesting-subject, Cennino has more to say about it. ' It sometimes happens,' he continues, ' that young ladies, especially those of Florence, endeavour to heighten their beauty by the application of colours and medicated waters to their skin. But as women who fear God do not make use of these things, and as I do not wish to render myself obnoxious to them, or to incur the dis- pleasure of God and Our Lady, I shall say no more on this subject.'
Poor Cennino Cennini found himself placed in a difficult position with regard to these painted ladies, for doubtless his pupils could earn a ducat or two by thus adorning the fair Italians ; so this source of income must not be too much abused. He himself, however, solemnly advises his pupils, if t/ic^ wish to preserve their complexion, they must wash in water procured from fountains, rivers, or wells ; for if they use cosmetics, their faces will become withered, their teeth black, and they 'will be the ugliest objects possible'; adding, with dignified reserve, ' This is quite sufficient to say on this subject.'
The master now goes on to give instruction on the numner of taking casts, and our pity will be bestowed on the unfortunate person whose cast is taken, for he will have much to suffer. But Cennino says (surely there was a twinkle in his eye when he wrote down the words) that in taking the cast of a person of rank, such as a lord, a king, a pope, or an emperor, the artist must stir into the plaster some rose-water as well as cold water; but for ol/icr persons it is sufficient to use cold water from fountains, rivers, or wells only ! He was evidently a respecter of persons, and, as we have
