yellow lake Reseda

Made from weld, (Reseda luteola)

Manufacturer / product code:  Kremer / 36262
Chemical description: made from weld, (Reseda luteola)
Color: yellow
Color Index: NY2

Yellow lake from reseda is an organic pigment obtained from Reseda luteola (weld), one of the most important yellow dyestuffs in European art before the introduction of synthetic colors. The colorant is based primarily on flavonoids, especially luteolin, which are extracted from the plant and then precipitated onto an inorganic substrate—commonly alumina or chalk—to form a lake pigment. This process transforms a soluble dye into an insoluble material suitable for use in painting. Reseda yellow lake was widely employed from antiquity through the Renaissance and early modern period, valued for its bright, clear yellow with a slightly greenish tone. Its transparency made it ideal for glazing and for mixing with blues to produce a range of luminous greens. However, like many organic lakes, reseda yellow is highly sensitive to light and environmental conditions, often fading or discoloring over time. Analytical identification relies on a combination of techniques, including chromatography to detect flavonoid markers and elemental analysis to characterize the lake substrate and mordants. Despite its fragility, yellow lake from reseda played a central role in historical palettes and remains an important reference material for understanding color practice, degradation phenomena, and conservation challenges in historical artworks.

Raman spectroscopy 1064 nm

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XRF spectroscopy

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FT-IR Spectroscopy (Non-invasive Diffuse Reflectance Probe)

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