HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

As far back as antiquity, wax – particularly coloured beeswax – was used as a painting medium. In his works dating back almost 2000 years, the Roman writer Plinius praised the eminent wax art of the Greeks which was later adopted by the Romans as portrait art.

Earthy shades such as sepia, red chalk, umber and manganese brown were already known to the old masters in the middle ages.