WHEN?Pigments in HistoryThe fourth circle You might be surprised at the number of centuries/art periods I have chosen to group into this circle. Yet, compared to the astonishing explosion of new pigments in the previous centuries, the Renaissance/Baroque/Classical/Romantic periods can hardly claim but a handful. I’m not debating the number of masterpieces produced during those…
3) Pigments in Medieval times to… the Primitives
WHEN?Pigments in HistoryThe third circle Some would argue that the innovation most critical to medieval painting in Europe was the synthesis of Vermillion—a truly alchemical affair! Imagine combining mercury and sulphur to create a black form of mercury sulphide, which, once pulverised and sublimated by intense heating, turns into a divine red that could be…
2) Pigments in Antiquity
WHEN?Pigments in historyThe second circle a) From 3000 B.C.E. to the end of the last Egyptian Dynasty Eventually, many centuries + the 3000 years of Egyptian rule later, well… it might seem that not much has changed at first glance! An inspection of the colours available to a pharaoh or his grand vizier shows pigments…
1) Pigments from eternity to c.3000B.C.E.
WHEN?PIgments in HistoryThe very first circle A timeline of pigments, such as the elegant one produced by Vivien Martineau here, should, in truth, begin like hers million upon million of years ago, in deep, deep time. My timeline unfolds from when those I have termed Art Pigments arrived in human hands. However, I am well…
Some pigments are born, some die
WHEN?Pigments in History A few years ago, the art world received this shocking piece of in-news one morning: Vantablack, an exciting new black pigment that had been all the buzz, had just been ‘bought’ by artist Anish Kapoor for his exclusive usage. A new colour is cause for much celebration and, by that, I mean…
Colors are not possessions
WHEN?Pigments in History “Colors are not possessions; they are the intimate revelations of an energy field… They are light waves with mathematically precise lengths, and they are deep, resonant mysteries with boundless subjectivity.” Isn’t Ellen Meloy’s definition of Colour in her Anthropology of Turquoise simply delicious? Still, we might as well admit it right now,…
C) Pigments (vs Colour)
WHAT?II. What’s in paint? One morning I woke up and told my husband: I’m going to write a book about colour! To which Vianney replied, being the tireless supporter of my wildest dreams (and privy to my darkest hours of doubt): That’s a great idea, but… do you know anything about colour? No, of course…
Art paint binders today
WHAT?II. What’s in paint?B) Binders Are you not amazed at the difference between these two paintings by Andrew Wyeth? Same talent, same subject, virtually the same angle, but the one on the left is painted with tempera on masonite and the other with watercolour on paper. The density of the board, the finesse of the…
Binders in order of appearance
WHAT?II. What’s in paint?B) Binders After this cycling detour, let’s go back to the beginning… oil will have to wait for quite a few centuries (millennia, to be fair) and have a look at binders in order of appearance.In most cases, it is hard to trace thousands of years back which binders have been used……
My introduction to binders
WHAT?II. What’s in paint?B) Binders Binder, when I first heard the word, was only evocative of books… something (thread + glue + leather embossed in gold?) that would efficiently keep the words tight, the folios in their intended order, the story making sense of this crazy world, perhaps. Could there be an analogy with binders…
in bed with mona lisa 