Renaissance Pigments and Raphael’s Palette

The limited number of pigments available to Renaissance artists is covered with description of the main mineral pigments and a selection of organic dye extracts such asTurnsole turnsoleCarmineCochineal, carmine, cochinealCochineal, kermes, rose madder, indigoIndigo and Tyrian purpleTyrian purple: use of dammar, dragon’s bloodDragon’s blood and amber resins and drying oils (siccatives). The search for novel translucent paint media and the use of fugitive pigments and their stabilisation as additives in glazes is discussed. replacement of some weaker hued pigments in the later Renaissance by new colours and the rise of synthetic chemistry in the late eighteenth century. Degradation of pigments in the environment and through their interaction with neighbouring minerals and oils: an understanding of the onset of irreversible “ultramarine diseaseUltramarine disease” resulting in a blanching of the bright blue colour to a dull grey. and the conversion of lead white, cerussite, to galena in the proximity of sulfur compounds.