Art is one of the defining characteristics of the human species because nearly all cultures practice it worldwide. From early humans adorning cave walls or painting the body, humans' appreciation of color goes way back.
Iconic paintings like Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, are renowned for their use of color and details. But how were these color pigments made? Some of the world's most iconic brushstrokes and sought-after pigments were made with surprising ingredients, including ancient ground bodies and ground insects. Here is the history behind these pigments.
1. The Cochineal Beetle and Carmine
(Image: Newberry Library, Butler, R.L. Check list of the mss. in the Ayer Coll., 1031 Galarza, J. Prelim. checklist of the Mex. mss., 1031 - Credit: Alzate y Ramírez, J. A. de, Bucareli y Ursúa, A. M., & Charles III. (1777). Memoria sobre la naturaleza, cultivo, y beneficio de la grana)
