The Ten Books on Architecture, 7.5.8

Vitruvius  translated by Morris Hicky Morgan

« Vitr. 7.5 | Vitr. 7.5 | Vitr. 7.6 | About This Work »

8For example, which of the ancients can be found to have used vermilion otherwise than sparingly, like a drug? But today whole walls are commonly covered with it everywhere. Then, too, there is malachite green, purple, and Armenian blue. When these colours are laid on, they present a brilliant appearance to the eye even although they are inartistically applied, and as they are costly, they are made exceptions in contracts, to be furnished by the employer, not by the contractor.

I have now sufficiently explained all that I could suggest for the avoidance of mistakes in stucco work. Next, I shall speak of the components as they occur to me, and first I shall treat of marble, since I spoke of lime at the beginning.

« Vitr. 7.5 | Vitr. 7.5 | Vitr. 7.6 | About This Work »