For Students
Ivory came into popular use as a painting support in the 18th and 19th centuries as part of miniature-painting traditions based largely in Europe and the United States. The naturally translucent material was well suited to the luminous techniques of portrait painting. Derived from the tusks and large teeth of elephants, walruses, and whales, ivory is composed of both organic and inorganic constituents of dentine. However, its porous and hygroscopic qualities render it vulnerable to many agents of deterioration. Ivory, especially in thin layers, responds with dimensional changes to fluctuations in the moisture content of the air. Miniature paintings on ...(100 of 14704 words)