Minium (pigment)
Minium, also known as
History
During the
There was (and is) considerable confusion among the names of ancient and medieval pigments. As noted above, the term minium was used for cinnabar, vermilion, and for red lead. Minium of red lead was sometimes called stupium in classical Latin, adding to the confusion.[5]
Minium may have been manufactured in China as early as 300 B.C. It was known in the
Visual characteristics
Red lead provides good body and hiding power in oil due to its high density and fine texture. The pigment has a tendency to darken in watercolor and wall paintings, but is stable in oil mediums. The color of the pigment changes depending on the size of the particles and the presence of litharge.[1]: 114
Despite its name, red lead is usually more orange than red, strongly absorbing ultraviolet from 200 to 500 nm and reflecting in the infrared region.[1]: 115
Permanence
One of red lead's most cited drawbacks, other than its poisonous nature, is its tendency to darken in some circumstances. As a result, it is unsuitable as a pigment on frescoes and in watercolor. Darkening results from the transformation of red lead to black lead oxide. The problem has been identified on several medieval manuscripts and Swiss wall paintings. Exposure to light and humidity are likely explanations for this darkening.[1]: 115–118
Notable occurrences
Miniatures
Minium was frequently used in medieval manuscripts. The color was used in particular for the paragraph signs, versals, capitals, and headings.[3]: 106 The Latin verb for this kind of work was miniare, to apply minium, and a person who did this was known as a miniator. These medieval artists also made small illustrations and decorative drawings in the manuscripts, which became known as miniatures, the source of the English word for small works of art.[5]
Japanese paintings
Minium is common on Japanese paintings of the Ukiyo-e school in the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. The orange color on these works has generally been well preserved because the paintings were mounted on scrolls and subsequently rolled up and protected (as seen in Three Actors Playing a Scene from the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington). Some areas of brown red lead, however, are present in the work.[1]: 117
Cosmetics
Minium was used as a cosmetic in ancient Greece, Rome, China, and beyond, with Pliny the Elder writing "minium is in great esteem in Ethiopia, their nobles being in the habit of staining the body all over with it."[3] A pale, smooth complexion was much desired in ancient Rome, likely as an indicator of social status.[8] Rouge was the next most visible element, with minium being used as a cheap, bright, and easy to make ingredient for female cosmetics to create a blush.[1][3]: 109
Other uses
Minium is commonly used in Russia, where it called Surik, as well as in Norway, India and China. Oil based red lead paints are used to protect ships, railroad cars and all sorts of steel constructions from corrosion. Minium bonds with iron creating a protective oxide layer that resists corrosion even in salt water.
Gallery
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A sample of minium pigment, made by roasting white lead pigment
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Solid minium
Red lead #FF4101
#FF4101
See also
References
Notes and citations
- ^ a b c d e f Fitzhugh, Elizabeth West (1986). "Red Lead and Minium". Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics. Vol. 1. Washington: National Gallery of Art. pp. 109–139.
- ^ Daniel V. Thompson, The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting, pg. 100
- ^ OCLC 936144129.
- ^ Daniel Thompson,The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting, pg. 101
- ^ a b Daniel Thompson, The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting, pg. 102
- ^ Philip Ball (2001), Bright Earth - Art and the Invention of Colour, Hazan (French edition).
- OCLC 901642628.
- JSTOR 40599851.
Bibliography
- Thomson, Daniel (1956). The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting. Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-20327-1.