Pigments through the Ages is a web feature that explores artists’ pigments and their history in a series of brief, interconnected articles.

From the navigation at page top you can Choose a Pigment, though I found it more informative to Browse Colors, as that gives you an overview of the limited list of pigments included in the feature within that range.

From either page you can arrive at a detail page about an individual pigment and get some information about the pigment’s history, composition and method of production, as well as short glimpses of the pigment’s use by an artist or two.

There is also a timeline that marks time periods in which various pigments became available. I wish this feature were more complete and easier to use (you have to roll over a line in the chart to see the pigment name) as I think it’s a particularly interesting aspect of the way artists through history have worked with the color ranges available to them.

Though not the most in-depth resource, it’s nonetheless interesting and may pique your curiosity and prompt you to go looking for additional information.

Pigments through the Ages is part of the larger WebExhibits website, that also includes features on Color Vision and Art, an analysis of the investigation of Bellini’s Feast of the Gods, and a fairly extensive feature on Van Gogh’s Letters.

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