MENIE (n. m.)
FILTERS
LINKED QUOTATIONS
Quotation
Daer en is niet een onder d’oude Meesters, of hij heeft de Menie-verwen in sijn Schilderijen vernepentlick aenghewreven, ghelijck als men de medicijnen spaerighlick plaght te ghenieten. Nu daerenteghen worden gheheele mueren niet alleen met dese verwe grof en groot bekladt, maer men is daerenboven wonderlick rijs in het ghebruyck van berg-groen, purpur, blaeuwen azuyr, en andere dierghelijcke verwen meer, de welcke alhoewelse sonder eenighe konst aenghestreken sijn, soo treckense nochtans d’ooghen der beschouwers door haeren helderen schijn, dies moeten oock de selvighe verwen, nae den eysch der wetten, van den aenbesteder (om datse kostelick sijn) en niet van den aennemer des wercks verschaft worden.
[Suggested translation, Marije Osnabrugge:] There is not one amongst the old Masters, or he has thinly brushed the red lead paints in his Paintings, just like one tends to enjoy the medicines sparingly. Now, on the other hand, entire walls are not only blotted coarsely and greatly with this paint, but they are also remarkably bold in the use of mountain-green, purple, blue azure, and other similar paints, which although they are brushed on without any art, they still attract the eyes of the viewers with their bright sheen, these same paints, as is demanded by the law, have to be provided by the commissioner (because they are costly) and not by the accepter of the work.
Junius discusses a quote from Vitruvius regarding the use of different colors throughout history, he mentions the colors red-lead, mountain-green, purple and blue azure specifically. Moreover, the colors mentioned in the Latin edition are not the same as the ones in the Dutch text: chryosocolla, ostrum and armenium. The citation is translated rather differently – and erratically – in the English edition. According to Vitruvius, the old masters used these pigments sparingly, whereas contemporary painters use large quantities which they apply very generously. The technique of the artist in applying the paint apparently plays no role in its appreciation. It is also mentioned that the commissioner pays for these costly pigments.