THE NEW OIL COLOURS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11478, 10 January 1903, Page 7

THE NEW OIL COLOURS.

There are now on view in Paris (wrote the London correspondent of a Sydney paper on November 28th) six dozen pictures by leading French artists, ail painted with M. Raffaelli- new oil colours, in cylindrical sticks. "The Times" correspondent notes that all these works have been done in • oil colours, whdoh have not been mixed by the painters on their palettes, but have been laid directly on the canvas in successive transparencies .without the aid of a brush. Titian's longing: "Oh. if we might only * paint with colours that we hold in our hands," has thus been realised, and M. Raffaelli seems lo have attached his name to a revolution in the modes of artistic expression which, if not compatrable in significance with that which is commonly associated with the names of tlie brothers Van Eyck, namely, the mixing of colours with oil, is nevertheless a considerable title to lasting fame. With M. Raffaelii's colours, which take the place of both thf'old oil colours and of ordinary pastels, and which coptain exactly the requisite quantity of oil, so t)ha£ there is no danger of blackening of tone by oxidation, a picture can be painted in a quarter of the time taken by the old system, and the artist can follow his thoughts much more, rapidly. *The art of oil painting is considerably simplified, tlie artist's means of expression' are, augmented. The refined softness and luminous radiance of the pictures exhibited recall the qualities of pastels, but, unlike ordinary pastels, the colours are absolutely indelible, and, therefore, do not require fixatives.