DE
PEJN'FURE PRATIQUE.
Par M. DE. PILES, de l'Aca
demit:: Royale de Pcinture &
Sculpture.
NOUVELLE EDITION
Entierement refonduc. & augmende con·
lidefablement. ,
Par CHARL!S-ANTOna J olinItY;
-I��$
A AMSTERDAM lIT A LEIPSICK.
<:bet Aa''''!'i. ${ MI.I.!!;"I, Librairci.
ET SE VEND A PARIS.
Chu CHAIU. •• -ANTOItU JON,tIT;
Libnire du Roi pour J>Anillrric � j'hmgc NOIre-D�!Ue. &leGbm.
M. DCC. LXVI.
TAB L E
DES CHAPITRES
conte nus dans cet ouvrage.PREMIER-E PAR TIE
CONTENAYT
LA PRATIQUE DE LA PEINTURE.
CHAPITRE PREMIER
'
Peimurc en gtu/fa/ � {; de f�s dijfi. D< i.
rtntts ([ peus. PlIoge 1
De la divijiotJ de Itt pcimutc en gilltrnl. .04-
Autre Dc la dillifion pdl1ture (Ie La til dltpdmure. rempc. 6
Dc /a'pcintllrc .1 pcfquc. I [
Dc la peintllrc en moJaii:Juc. 11-
Dc la peinturt J: huilt. J J 14-
Dc /11. peinture en miniature. aiv^16
Figure 1. From Roger De Piles, Elemens de peinture pratique, 1766. Paris: Charles-Antoine
Jombert. Roger De Piles was an amateur painter and a prolific writer on the arts. The inf ormation in
Jombert's edition was intended to instruct those who desired counsel on how to paint and provided
explicit instructions on all aspects of the profession.
des Sciences. His Traite de la practique de la peinture, published in 1730, con
cerned painting as it was practiced from the late seventeenth century to 1730.
He gives advice on drawing, oil, tempera and miniature painting, fresco, mo
saic painting, enamel painting, painting on glass, pigments, and tools fo r paint
ing. A three-step method of painting, "ebaucher, empater, retoucher" is taken
fo r granted. Like De La Fontaine, he recommends preparing canvas with a
double ground, but gives much more detail. On the preparation of canvas, he
admits that some painters use only the first red ground because the colors
sink less: These canvases "font moins mourir les couleurs" and are more easily
rolled. Other painters preferred using canvas with a white glue ground fo r
oil paint, which, he adds, appeared to work well.
The difficulties of this "new" oil medium continued to trouble La Hire,
however, especially the problem of the sinking of the paint layer, particularly
in dark colors. He disapproved of those painters who did not apply sufficient
layers of paint, finishing with what he considered only an ebauche (sketch),
using little pigment and lots of oil, as if painting a glaze. If there was not
sufficient paint in the upper layers, he warned, the top paint layer would sink
into the layer underneath, a process he called emboire. Emboire was caused
by painting on a ground that had not dried sufficiently, or painting on a still
wet paint layer, or using excessive oil, especially oil of turpentine. If the paintviij Dc la peintuu TABLE Jur vcrre.
Dc /a ptinturc en 'mail.^16De la p,inturt flU. ptifld. .1.1 Ii
Du tapiffiri ts. Des inditnnu {,-au puftl. 10
Des camayeux au clair-o.Jcufs. .11
Dc fimpreJ/ion tn (ou/curs. u lJ
Du imagu fllinitS. 1+
Du.(ahlc4UX De la peinturt de for gatt:, atS glaces. .1 (
Du patronagc & ats tuif.! dorIs.^16 .1'
CHAP. Des proportions II. DIJ de(; fltdes min. efurts au (orps $t'
numdin. �J
Des n;tres dijf/rtns de dtjJintr. papiers & dt.s Jiverfis ma-
Qud doil (l', Ie premier hut de celui qui H
Par qutls ohjeu commence a d1finer. 04$
finer. i[ foUl commentu J tit/-
QU'il '.f1 mitux de dtJIiner d'ahord +3 en
Qucraml. So
Qu �d nd flut ilfoul commencer d�{jinerJ'apres p. .u efil uiffi r. nature. ibid.^51
Pr�ti1ue excdltrlte pour profiter de flsQu " foUl ��udeJ.la vofr. terminer Itvant que^51
S'I1.U()UI�mer aerol/ut.r. dt.Comment II foUl donner I'ifprit & It. C(l� S1-
ro1Clt.rt. fluX c/u'les que I'on rI.�{!;':t.. S 5DES C HAP I T RES, ix
Comment on connOlt Clux'lui Ont du. g(nie
Du pour coloris Ja r& dt. fa einturt.. couleur. S 9 Go
CHAP. 111. Del'l1.((dit.r dll Peintre. 61.
De Dt.s 111. I!roffis pit.rrt. f; d tit.s phroyt.f incIt.s el1.ultco. uleurs. 6 J 63
Manit.rt. tit. fairt. It.s hroffis. 7 I
De.s Manit.fe hroffe s nommit.S de flire Its pinceflux. trancnus. 76
Du pincdier..^11 80
P�lJ.r empecht.r lu pinteaux Je fo Jllre;r. 8.t.
Dt.S Dt. l'apFw.mai". anus pour It.s pinceallx. 8 J
Du thevalet. 804-
Dt. la palull.. BS 8,
Des toiles {; d,s alltrt.s fonti.l for leflJue/1
CHAP. on peint. IV. Del.t 9+
ArrltllGt.ment des couit.ufs pdnturt.fu r anui/t., la paleue. <J7 98
Desuinus" au mtlangedes coult.urs. lot
Manit.ft. d't./quiffir (; d' "'aucher un tab/ep.u.
De /a fofGn ae retoucher ler tahleaux. I,i '" '^07
De/a maniere de glocer lu cou/eurs a huile.
lI'!i! aux perfonnes qui commtncent a pein-"^7fire. II!)
Du cou/eurs qu'on emp/oie pollr /a pein�
turt. J: huiit..
Figure 2. From Roger De Piles, Elemens de peinture pratique, 1766. Paris: Charles-Antoine
Jombert.Massing 23