Zecchi’s Antichi Maestri Medium
Zecchi is now selling the medium I recommend pre-mixed to save painters the trouble of making their own. The recipe is the usual: 1 part Canada balsam cut with 1 part turpentine, and then that mixture is added to 2 parts Zecchi sun-thickened linseed oil.art. The item number is 3882 ” Medium Antichi Maestri” and the price is €12 for a 125ml bottle and €22,50 euro for the 250ml bottle. (They ship abroad too, check out their website for more details).
I tried to get them to name it after Theodore de Mayerne or to call it the “Cecilian medium” as Charles Cecil developed a similar version (adding mastic varnish) based on his reading of de Mayerne’s manuscript on 17th century painting techniques
‘Old Master Medium’ is so trite.
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Well done Marc!
wow i need some of that stuff
You do Ben, you do.
What does this Medium do to the paint, can you tell some about it
Its a great lay-in medium when cut with turpentine. It fuses the paint the right amount during the middle stages. Its great for glazing at the end (diffusing the pigment). It doesn’t yellow too badly and it dries pretty fast without going either too matte or too glossy.
The balsam should also resist cleaning attempts by restorers in the future.