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"Between Poses, embedded encaustic, 10" x 8"
© by
Cynthia Worthen Vascak
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Encaustic is one
of the oldest painting techniques practiced by artists which is
currently being revived. The Encaustic technique is basically
painting and drawing with pigmented wax using intensive heat to fuse the
wax to a supporting board and to fuse layers of wax together.
Encasutics are made with refined beeswax, damar resin, and pure
pigments. Encaustic wax is applied in molten form with a brush and
then fused together layer upon layer. The word
"encaustic" comes form the Greek and means "to burn
in" - referring to the process of fusing the wax at high heat -
done originally with charcoal braziers. Charcoal braziers have been
replaced with modern electrical heating tools which have catalyzed
new exploration of this ancient art media. Contemporary applications of
encaustic include the embedding of images created on paper within
layers of wax, rubbing images into the surface of the wax, and direct
drawing into the surface of the wax with a stylus.
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Historically, one of the earliest applications of
encuastic, dating back to ancient Greece, was to highlight the features of
marble statues and to create architectural murals. The Greek influence
spread to Egypt during the Hellenistic period and the Egyptians quickly
mastered the art of encaustic painting. Since the beginning of the 19th
century over 600 encaustic portraits have been excavated, all of which are
remarkably well preserved and lifelike. Encaustic painting also
flourished in Rome and there is an account of Julius Caesar commissioning
and encaustic painting form the artist, Timomakos for the equivalent of
$350,000.00. Encaustic painting continued to flourish during the 6th and
7th centuries and it was common practice for the Christian Court of
Constantinople to commission Greek encaustic artists.
During the Middle
Ages, artist turned more to tempera, frescos, and ultimately oil painting -
all techniques which did not require the intense heat and fire needed to
liquefy the waxes and fuse them together. However, there are a few
Renaissance artists who experimented with encaustic: Lucas Cranach and
Andrea Mantegna reputedly experimented with encaustic and scholars have
speculated that Leonardo’s: Battle of Anghiari” may have been a
failed encaustic.
Encaustic is an intriguing
technique with a fascinating history. Due to the beeswax and resin base, it is
perhaps even more endurable than oil painting, as evidenced by the many
excavated encaustic works. Gaining mastery of this technique is a formidable
challenge full of delight and inspiration.
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