270 PAINTING MATERIALS
Pine—Flemish, a; German, 131; Italian, 15. (Total, 148)
Poplar—Flemish, I; German, 10; Italian, no. (Total, 121)
Walnut—Flemish, 3; French, 2; German, 4; Italian, 3. (Total, 12)
A further comment on the panels used in European painting is made by Eibner
in his Tafelmalerei (pp. 78 ff.). For the XV and XVI centuries he says that Italian
painters used poplar, walnut, chestnut, cypress, pear, mountain ash, maple, pine,
cedar, and willow; that the French used oak; that the painters of the Netherlands
used oak, mahogany, linden, cedar, maple, pear, and poplar; that the Dutch used
linden, red beech, fir, spruce, alder, and Swiss pine; and that the English used
oak, spruce, fir, and pine.
The joining of pieces to make a wood panel is described by many of the early
treatises on painting; such a description is in the Schedula diversarum artium of
the monk Theophilus (early XII century) and is given by Laurie (Materials, etc.,
p. 158, from MS. chap. XVII). It calls for making a glue from cheese-casein, with
quicklime to dissolve it. Similar directions are found in the famous Libro delT Arte,
the Craftsman's Handbook of Cennino Cennini (early XV century; ed. Thompson,
p. 68).
From very early times other materials, like cloth, leather, and (later) paper,
were combined with wood to make a compound support for paint. Structures of
this kind are found in Egyptian mummy cases where linen with gesso over wood
forms the support of paint and gold. A Roman parade shield of the II century
A.D., found at Dura-Europos, Is made of plywood covered with leather on which
the painting is executed. In European panel painting, particularly in Italy, the
practice of applying cloth over the wood was common before 1400, and is speci-
fically described by Cennino Cennini (ed. Thompson, p. 70). He directs the use of
old thin linen cloth that is cut or torn into strips, soaked in a good size (i.e., a glue
made from goat or sheep parchment) ,and spread over the panel.
During the Renaissance in Europe cloth supports came to be more common,
particularly for larger compositions, but wood continued in use and is still fre-
quently employed by painters.
Wood-Pulp (see also Paper). In the early stages of making paper, cardboard,
and certain building boards, logs are cut, chipped, and reduced to a fibrous mass.
This is usually done either by grinding and soaking, which produces mechanical
pulp, or by chipping and decomposing intercellular materials in the raw wood
through the action of alkaline or acid additions to the water used for cooking.
The latter produces chemical pulp.
Wool (see also Fabrics and Fibrous Substances) was probably the first fibre
spun by man. It is the epidermal hair of lambs and sheep, and consists of a pro-
tein called keratin. Although the best and greatest quantity of it comes from
sheep, some comes from the angora goat, the cashmere goat, the camel, alpaca,
llama, and other animals. The use of cloths made from this fibre for support of
paint and paintings has been negligible.