Obsolete Colors

Over the millennia artists colors have changed with few consistently remaining on the palette. The first 3 have, however: Yellow Ochre, Red Earth and Charcoal Black. The ancient Egyptians used in addition to the ochres, malachite, azurite, smalt, also called blue frit, and chalk for white. By the time of the Renaissance Vermilion, Lake, Umber’s and Sienna’s, Naples Yellow, Ultramarine, Green Earth, Lead-Tin Yellow, Massicot, and White Lead had all been added. Several of these colors died out as better replacements were discovered and many are now only of historic interest only, and may be mentioned in these pages merely because they may commonly be mentioned in discussions of old master works.