Abstract
IN Archaeologia, vol. lxiv., pp. 315-35, Prof. A. P. Laurie, of the Royal Academy of Arts, presents us with the chief results of an important research on the historical and local succession of the use of “ancient pigments.” His material has been drawn almost entirely from western Europe, Chinese, Persian, and Indian painting not being discussed. His conclusions, derived mainly from the optical and micro-chemical examination, necessarily much restricted, of valuable illuminated MSS., amplify rather than correct those of previous investigators, such as Sir Humphry Davy, Marcelin Berthelot, and other chemists of the nineteenth century, but synthetic experiments have in some cases been utilised. The story more nearly approaches completeness in some sections than in others. The lakes, for example—pink, lilac, red, crimson, and purple—have not as yet, in all cases, revealed their origin. Perhaps the series_ and sequence of blue pigments may be cited as a characteristic example of Dr. Laurie's fuller treatment of his subject. Of the six blues included in the early list—indigo, Egyptian-blue, the mineral azurite or chessylite, real ultramarine from lapis lazuli, blue verditer and smalt—the most interesting is without doubt Egvptian-blue. To this remarkable pigment Prof. Laurie has devoted much attention, having finally determined its composition and properties, and also the optimum temperature for its production (see Proc. Roy Soc, vol. lxxxix. A, pp. 418-29). Although these six pigments were not all in use everywhere and at the same time they cover the early centuries and^ the period between classical times and the close of the sixteenth century. Later additions to blue pigments comprise Prussian-blue, near the beginning of the eighteenth century; cobalt-blue, and artificial ultramarine in the first quarter of the nineteenth century; and cæruleum about the year 1870. This dating of pigments.and of their use is of the highest importance in connection with questions as to the provenance and authencity of works of art. For full details Prof. Laurie's paper, with the annexed tables, must be consulted. A few typographical errors in this important memoir should be noted; Robertson on p. 321 should be Roberson; sulphur not silver should appear in the second line from the bottom of p. 331; and the name of the mollusc from which the Irish monks prepared the Tyrian purple employed in their illuminated MSS. is not quite accurately given in the earlier of the tables appended to the memoir. It may be suggested that this purple pigment, which is a dibromoindigotin, ought to be identifiable where its presence is suspected by means of its high content of bromine.
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C., A. Ancient Pigments . Nature 92, 646 (1914). https://doi.org/10.1038/092646a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/092646a0