[Paul DeLorenzo]

Dear Valerie,

The "French" varnish Rockwell used was "Virbert Retouch Varnish". In the mid 60's the company which had bought the rights to Vibert's name changed the formula from dammar to a synthetic. A great product was destroyed. It is very nasty stuff to work over. I remember one of my old teachers was very upset about it.

Something comparable can be made by dissolving dammar tears in turpentine or mineral spirits depending on which you use for a thinner and as a component in your medium. One or the other throughout. One can order 100g of dammar from Kremer. Suspend it in a cheese cloth bag held by a string through a hole in the lid of a jar containing 200ml solvent. It should dissolve in up to five days. Make sure the jar is absolutely clean. Remove the bag and decant the varnish into a new jar. It can be used as such as a component in a medium or thinned 3:4 with solvent for retouch. It is up to you to select the best solvent. I use W/N turpentine with mastic rather than dammar.

One can simply buy dammar or mastic 1:2 in turpentine from Kremer and thin 3 pt with 4 pt turpentine. Dammar will dissolve in turpentine or mineral spirits, mastic only in turpentine in which it should be allowed to sit for three weeks. Stick with one or the other on the same canvas.

A 1:3 solution can be used as a final varnish a year or two later.