CONSIDERING the widespread interest which attaches to all matters connected with pictures and painting, it is perhaps somewhat surprising that up to within quite recent times no attempt has been made to discuss and review in a comprehensive and efficient manner the materials and methods of painting from a strictly chemical point of view. It will, however, be readily conceded that the field is an extensive one, and it is, moreover, obvious that an intimate acquaintance with the technique of painting will be found only very rarely associated in the same individual with a thorough knowledge of chemistry. Neither a mere chemist nor a mere artist could undertake the task with a fair prospect of success. The Chemistry of Paints and Painting. By A. H. Church (London: Seeley and Co., 1890.)