Encaustic paints consist of pigment blended with hot wax, such as beeswax. Encaustic was invented in ancient Greece and popular in ancient Rome, especially when painting sculpture, because encaustics provide rich colors and a fair amount of durability. Although encaustic techniques are difficult and labor intensive, there has been a resurgence in the use of encaustics amongst some twentieth-century artists. The contemporary artist Jasper Johns is known for use his of encaustic.