realgar

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Realgar

Realgar is a highly toxic arsenic sulfide and was the only pure orange pigment until modern chrome orange.

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 10800
Chemical description: natural mineral, arsenic sulfide. Kremer PDF
Color: orange
Color Index: PY 39
More info: Pigments Through The Ages Colourlex

The pigment Realgar is an intensely bright orange-red mineral that has held a fascinating, albeit dangerous, place in human history and art. Its name, derived from the Arabic rahj al-ghar (“powder of the mine”), speaks to its mineral origin and ancient lineage. Historically, Realgar’s deep, fiery hue was unparalleled, making it the only pure orange-red pigment available to artists before the advent of modern synthetic colors like chrome orange in the 19th century. Its history stretches back to the ancient world, where it was sourced from volcanic deposits and traded across vast networks, finding use in cosmetics, medicine, and as a potent poison due to its arsenic content.

In art, Realgar was favored for its strong opacity and dramatic color, particularly in traditions where vibrancy was paramount. Early occurrences are documented in works from Ancient Egypt, Central Asia, and prominently in East Asian art, including Chinese and Japanese painting, where it was sometimes known as “masculine yellow” in contrast to its yellow cousin, Orpiment. In European painting, its use was more sporadic, largely due to its toxicity and poor stability; Realgar tends to degrade when exposed to strong light, transforming into a yellow polymorph called pararealgar. Despite these limitations, 16th-century Venetian masters like Titian frequently employed it, taking advantage of Venice’s pigment trade access to lend a distinct, luminous orange to draperies and vibrant details in their oil paintings. Although eventually replaced by safer pigments, Realgar remains a key identifier when analyzing the palette of historical works.

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