Faraday to William Mure   7 June 1853

Royal Institution | 7 June 1853

Dear Sir

On looking out some old pictures painted for me (very common place) by Penry Williams1 when he was young i.e about 33 years ago2, & working with them & alcohol, I found them exceedingly affected; & I suspect they are, as to vehicle either the mixture of oil & varnish or all varnish. On the other hand working with a white lead surface containing no varnish but only oil, which I applied 3 years ago, I found it to resist altogether the alcohol:- I think therefore I have the two extreme cases which illustrate the effect of alcohol on pictures3 & in that case I am ready for the Committee on Friday4. If you think fit I will come; but as Friday time is valuable5, would be glad to know the time accurately & not to be away from home longer than is needful[.] Whatever you desire I will do[.]

I am | Dear Sir | Most truly Yours | M. Faraday

Coll Mure M.P. | &c &c &c

1
Penry Williams (1798-1885, DNB). Painter.
2
See Faraday to Guest, 20 July 1819, letter 103, volume 1.
3
Faraday’s notes on this work are in RI MS F2 J182-5. He reported this work to the Select Committee on the National Gallery on 10 June 1853. Parliamentary Papers,1852-3 <(867)> 35, p.376.
4
That is 10 June 1853. See letter 2684.
5
Due to Faraday delivering the Friday Evening Discourse, Faraday (1853c), that day.

Bibliography

FARADAY, Michael (1853c): “MM. Boussingault, Frémy, Becquerel, &c. on Oxygen”, Proc. Roy. Inst., 1: 337-9.

Please cite as “Faraday2685,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday2685