1st to 19th Century Pigments

Railing Patricia

A collection of all the historical pigments mentioned in the treatises included in the series, Colour Palettes, by century, complemented by recipes from other contemporary sources. The entries define the pigment – colour, its source (animal, plant, mineral) and its name – and describe its method of preparation, with historical remarks tracing the pigment through the centuries. Recipes provide the documentary history of the pigment beginning with the earliest known through to 1837, the date of George Field's, Chromatography, to make up a history of each pigment.

About the Author

Patricia Railing (PhD, University of Paris, Sorbonne, Philosophy of Art) is an art historian specialising in both the Russian Avant-Garde and the history of artists' pigments. She has compiled this collection, Colour Palettes, from treatises, 1st century B.C. to the 19th century, which culminates in the Documentary Dictionary of Historical Pigments.

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