Black and White 6

What’s the difference in cost between preparing your own black or buying it from a Venetian apothecary?

Between the back room of a Venetian apothecary and the studio of an independent painter, what is the cost difference to obtain a deep black? Dive into the fascinating economy of pigments during the...

The Temples of Borobudur: Traces of Black in the Reliefs Suggesting Partial Polychromy?

The grey stones of Borobudur hide a millennial secret: traces of black pigments reveal that, once upon a time, this Javanese temple vibrated with strategic colors. This partial polychromy guided Bu...

How Did Mannerist Painters Calculate Their Needs for Black in Shadows?

Mannerist painters meticulously calculated their needs for ivory black for shadows according to geometric methods and empirical ratios. A fascinating economic and aesthetic science.

Longmen Cave Murals: Did Black Define Gilding Areas?

The murals in the Longmen Caves reveal a sophisticated technique where black precisely delineated areas of gilding. These dark outlines created sharp boundaries between gilded surfaces and bare sto...

Why did white lead remain dominant despite documented poisonings?

For three centuries, white lead dominated decoration and beauty despite its documented mortal toxicity. This paradoxical dominance reveals an aesthetic obsession surpassing the instinct for surviva...