Summary of medieval pigments for a class handout

Medieval Pigments

Reds:

Minium (red lead), Vermillion (HgS), Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata), 

cynople (Brazilwood in chalk?), Folium/Turnsole (Chrozophora tinctoria)(acid), Madder (Rubia tinctorum), Kermes, Red Ochre, Cochineal, Naturally occurring Cinnabar, Stick Lac, Ivy Lac, Dragonsblood (sap of Pterocarpus draco or Dracoena draco), grain (Coccus ilicis stings Quercus coccifera and dies on it)

Blues:

Silver Blue (a type of verdigris), Egyptian Blue Frit (recipe lost after the fall of Byzantium),

Indigo (Indigoferra), Woad (Isatis tinctoria), Lapis Lazuli, Ultramarine (purified lapis lazuli),

Ultramarine Ash, Azurite, Cornflower Blue, Bilberry Blue, Folium/Turnsole (Chrozophora tinctoria) (alkaline)

Greens:

Malachite, Verdigris, Terre Vert (gluconite and celadonite), Prasinus (?De Diversis Artibus),

Iris Green, Rue Green, Cabbage Green, Leek Green, Buckthorn (or Sap) Green (Rhamnus spp),

Black Nightshade (leaves), Caprifolium Seed Green, Vergaut (indigo + orpiment)

Yellow:

Saffron, Lead Tin (I) Yellow, Weld (Reseda Luteola), Yellow Ochre, Orpiment (As2S3),

Realgar (orangey As4S4), Buckthorn Yellow (unripe), Massicot Yellow/ Litharge (Yellow Lead), Naples Yellow (Lead-Antimony Oxide) volcanic activity, Violet Yellow (unnamed in De Arte Illuminandi), Turmeric Yellow, Black Poppy Yellow (De Arte Illuminandi), Mosic/Musive Gold (SnS2)

Purples:

Lichen (Rocella tinctoria), Tyrian Purple (Shellfish purple from Muricidae which is ph sensitive),

Elderberry Juice, Wild Poppy Violet (Strasburg Manuscript recipe), Rose Purple (Mappae

Clavicula, species unspecified), Purple Fluorite

Whites:

Ceruse/Lead White, Bone White, Chalk White, Gypsum

Browns:

Brown Ochers (Umber, Raw Siena...)

Blacks:

Carbon Black, Vine Black, Lamp Black

This is a summary from http://wiesenfeuer.ansteorra.org/links/artsandsciences/medievalpigments.pdf and

https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~cochinea/pdfs/a-baker-04-pigments.pdf

Who are using

Mappae Clacicula, 9-12^th century

On Divers Arts Theophilus, 12^th century

Liber de Coloribus Illuminatorum Siue Pictorum, also known as Sloane MS No. 1754, 14^th century

De Arte Illuminandi, Naples, Biblioteca Nazional, MS XII.E.27, 14^th century

Liber diversarum arcium, 14^th century

Il Libro dell'Arte Cennini, 15^th century

Strasburg Manuscript, 15^th century

YIS Adrienne d'Evreus 207-651-5837 adrienne.devreus@gmail.com