Exhibits

Treatises of Watin and Mauclerc

Jean-Félix Watin's treatise has been published in more than one dozen editions and in several reprints and translations. L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur, the main title, tends to remain constant in the French editions, although the subtitle varies and often indicates changes in content.

Date Publication Notes and Sources
1733 Père Filippo Bonanni, Traité des vernis (Paris).

Watin mentions these three books as existing sources of poor information. The first two were first published several decades earlier.
1766 Secrets concernant les arts et métiers (Brussels).
1771 Delormois, Manuel de vernisseur (Paris).
28 March 1772 Pierre-François Mitouard read the prospectus of L'Art de faire et d'employer le vernis ou L'Art du vernisseur at the Paris Academy of Sciences. Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau and Jean-Charles Trudaine de Montigny are assigned to examine it. Source: Procès-verbaux de l'Académie des Sciences 91.
1772 Watin, L'Art de faire et d'employer le vernis (Paris).  
6 December 1772 Syndics of the Company of Architects give a favorable account of Watin's book Source: Watin, Supplément.
January 1773 Prospectus for the second edition of L'Art de faire et employer le vernis is issued. Source: Watin, Supplément, 1
15 March, or 18 May 1773 Watin, L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur (Paris: Grangé, Durand, Watin). Source: L'Art de faire et employer le vernis, 2d ed. Watin gives both dates.
18 June 1773 Certification of Mauclerc's book by the Académie de Saint-Luc et Communauté des Peintres Source: Mauclerc
26 July 1773 Mauclerc, Traité des couleurs et vernis (Paris). Source: BNF catalog
28 August 1773 Date of Gautier d'Agoty's letter to Watin Source: Watin, Supplément.
7 September 1773 Approval of the Supplément by Macquer. Source: Watin, Supplément.
27 September 1773 Date of extract from the Avant Coureur. Source: Watin, Supplément.
September / October 1773 Watin, Supplément à "L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur", servant de réponse à la réfutation du sieur M. . . ([Paris]). Source: BNF catalog.
1 November 1773 Projected date for publication of an illustrated folio edition of Watin. Source: Watin, "Avis à MM. Les Souscripteurs de l'In Folio de l'Art du Peintre, Doreur, Vernisseur. . . ” Supplément, 77–78.
1774 Watin, L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur, 2d ed. (Paris).  
1774 Watin, Der Staffirmaler, oder, Die Kunst anzustreichn, zu vergoldern und zu lackiren (Leipzig). First German translation.
1776 Watin, 3d ed. (Paris).  
7 February 1776 Mitouard presents L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur at the Paris Academy of Science Balthazar-Georges Sage and Nicolas Desmarest are named to examine it. (Mathieu Tillet replaced Desmaret in July 1777.) Source: Procès-verbaux de l'Académie des Sciences 95.
1777 Watin, Extrait de la troisième édition de "L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur" du sieur Watin. . . (Paris). A 2-page Prospectus for the third edition.
Source: BNF catalog.
23 August 1777 Tillet and Sage present report to the Paris Academy regarding L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur. Source: AdS pochette (23 August 1777).
1778 Watin, L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur "Nouvelle édition" (Lièges). A 4th edition?
1779 Placide-Auguste Le Pileur d'Apligny, Traité des couleurs matérielles, et de la manière de colorer relativement aux différens arts et métiers (Paris). Le Pileur d'Apligny complains (p. xi) that Watin's information is no better than that in earlier works.
1781 Watin, Extrait de "L'Art du peintre, doreur, vernisseur" du sieur Watin.. (Paris). Eight-page prospectus for a new edition.
Source: BNF catalog.
1782 Encyclopédie méthodique: Arts et métiers méchaniques. Watin's treatise is included s.v. Peinture," 6:239–57 (plus plates?).
1785 Watin, 4th edition (Paris). Issued/sold by Watin.
1787 Watin, 4th edition (Paris). Issued/sold by Desoer
1793 Watin, 4th edition (Paris). Issued/sold by Desoer.
1802 Watin, 5th edition (Paris: Bidault). Issued/sold by Bidault.
1803 Pierre-François Tingry, Traité theorique et practique sur l'art de faire et d'appliquer les vernis (Geneva). Based on and incorporating Watin's book.
1804 Tingry, The Painter and Varnisher's Guide (London). English translation of Tingry.
1808 Watin, 6th edition (Paris). Issued/sold by Belin.
1815 Watin, 7th edition (Paris). Issued/sold by Belin.
1819 Watin, 8th edition (Paris).  
1823 Watin, 8th edition (Lyon).  
1823 Watin, 9th edition (Paris). The title page notes that the work has been revised and augmented by Charles Bourgeois.
1828 Watin, 10th edition (Paris).  
1829 Tingry, Manuale dell'inverniciatore o sia l'arte d'inverniciare, indorare, stemperare i colori (Milan). Italian translation of Tingry, modernized by the chemist Antonio Bayer.
1831 Tingry, The Painter's and Colourmen's Complete Guide (Philadelphia: Carey and Hart). American edition of Tingry.
1851 Watin, 11th edition (Paris). The title page notes that the work has been revised and augmented by Firmin Bourgeois. Part of Encyclopédie Roret.
1864 Watin, 12th edition (Paris). Encyclopédie Roret.
1898 Watin, 13th edition (Paris). Encyclopédie Roret.
1906 Watin, 14th edition (Paris). Encyclopédie Roret.
1975-77 Watin, reprint of Liège edition of 1778 (Paris).  
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