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Rob,
My reference to science was in regard to the conservation scientists at the National Gallery in London who analyzed paint samples from Old Master paintings and found no mastic or other resins in the the paintings of Rembrandt, Titian, etc., and to the conservation scientists with whom Robert Gamblin works in the development of his products. This is in contradiction to the many claims by Jacques Maroger and the advocates of his medium that this medium was used by the painters we refer to as the Old Masters, which includes those of the 16th and 17th centuries. According to the conservation scientists, these substances are not in evidence in the preponderance of oil paintings done before about 1750, and were largely abandoned by artists in favor of hard resins in the latter decades of the 19th century due to the problems that had begun to show up in old paintings done with various megilp concoctions containing mastic resin.
My comments did not mention you, but if you took offense under the assumption that they reflected on you, I readily apologize. I might also point out, since that came up, that I am owed a long overdue apology from you for the many highly insulting and unwarranted comments you directed against me in your own forum, and in light of my not having received any such apology, I find it most ironic that you raise an objection to anything you perceive as offensive coming from me. That being said, my comments were in reference to the objectivity one might expect of a person selling a product when offering an evaluation of a competing product versus his/her own, rather than a matter of impugning your personal honesty. One can believe what he/she says whole-heartedly and still be mistaken, as is often the case. In such an instance, honesty is not the issue. I believe it is prudent in instances when a manufacturer's claims are at odds with current science to place greater credence in the best science, rather than accept on faith what someone selling a product has to say, whether the person seems honest, sincere and totally in earnest or not. You have impugned the honesty and integrity of Robert Gamblin and other manufacturers in much the same manner as you allege I have impugned yours. It might be appropriate to exhibit the same courtesies toward others as we expect others to exhibit towards us. Otherwise we have no legitimate right to complain.
This forum is intended to be for discussions of a technical nature, if I understand correctly; thus, personal issues are beside the point, and irrelevant in that context. In any case, I leave this evening for New York, and will not be able to read or respond to anything you might post until I return, unless I can find an internet cafe and more spare time than I am likely to find while there.
VE
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