Maroger

A medium that Fairfield Porter is said to have made well known, it was 'discovered' by Jacques Maroger and publicized in his book, "The Secret Formulas and Techniques of the Old Masters". The goal of Maroger and then Porter was to create an effect with oil paintings similar to that of the Old Masters. Maroger's 'secret' formula was using white lead as the main ingredient combined with linseed oil, which acts as a drying agent and preservative of the oil paint color layers. White lead is also helpful in conserving paintings in varying environmental conditions. Porter's recipe was cooking a mixture of 1 part lead carbonate, 1 part bees wax, and 10 parts of linseed oil. According to Justin Spring in his biography, "Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art," Porter met Jacques Maroger at Parsons School of Design, and Maroger had developed the medium as a slow-drying, stable medium. Today it is available in art-supply stores. Sources: "American Artist" magazine, 12/2002; Chapellier Galleries label.