The history of "Encaustic"

The nature of wax makes it an excellent preservative for many materials. Even the Greeks used pitch and wax to make their ships weatherproof. Both merchant ships and warships were decorated by pigmenting the wax. The use of a rudimentary encaustic was an established method in the classical period (500-323 BC). 

It is assumed that in that era, the raw paint that was applied to the ships with tar brushes was refined for the art of painting on panels. 

The best-known mummy portraits on wooden panels come from the Fayum region in Egypt and are thought to date from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. After the conquest of Egypt by Alexander, many Greeks settled in the region. Later, Roman influence was also added. The paintings were mostly applied to wooden panels - more rarely directly to mummy canvas. The wooden panels were made from high-quality imported hardwood and then polished. The paintings in the encaustic technique have a very deep and impressionistic effect due to the juxtaposition of bright and rich colors. Many of these pieces have survived into our time and their color still looks as fresh as any recently completed work. 

In the 18th century, there was a revival when archaeologists uncovered the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and antiquarians rediscovered the techniques of ancient artists. The following century saw further research into encaustic painting.

With the invention of portable electric heaters in the early 20th century, encaustic became more and more widely applicable. Numerous artists began to experiment with it and developed individual styles. 

There are many prominent artists who have helped encaustic to make a modern and interdisciplinary appearance. More and more well-known artists are now also using these wonderful materials and techniques and contributing to their increasing popularity. 

Encaustic finally became commercially available in the 1940s. The second half of the century saw a further expansion of encaustic painting with the numerous colors of R&F Paint and Encaustikos now available.

Sources: R&F Paints | Wikipedia