Silica colours

The query relates to 19th century paintings in silica colours.

I am looking into a painting by F.R. Say (1827-1886) who painted the
portrait of Dwarkananth Tagore (1794-1846) when Tagore was in London
on his second visit (dying there after a short illness) in 1843. The
portrait is in the collection of The Victoria Memorial Hall,
Kolkatta, India. (Tagore is buried in London, his heart having been
'extracted' and returned to Kolkatta).

Thomas Miller, a London Colourman, advertised the virtues of his
invention 'Silica Colours' in 'The Art Union' paper during the
1840's

Dr Leslie Carlyle has provided information from her research into
19th century paint mediums and the Roberson Archive at Hamilton Kerr
Cambridge provides recipes for a Silica medium with megilp and
silica medium and mastic.

I have references to three other English painters of the 19th
century (Stone, Courbould, Armitage) who are known to have used the
'silica colours'.

I would be pleased to hear from any Conservator who has had to deal
with this particular type of painting.

Lucia Scalisi
Conservator of Easel Paintings
London


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:4
                   Distributed: Sunday, June 13, 2010
                        Message Id: cdl-24-4-027
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