18th Century Colour Palettes

Railing Patricia

Pigments described by the English chemist, Robert Dossie, the French artists' colourman, Jean Felix Watin, and the London-based pigment maker, Constant de Massoul. 18th century European painting saw the introduction of new pigments to the painters' palettes, from Prussian Blue to the early synthetics such as Patent Yellow. It was a century rich in pigments, the authors of the treatises listing over 150 pigments that could be bought in the shops in London and Paris.

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.

Back to the list of books