Name: Natalie McGonigal and Alaniz Enriquez

Date: November 5th, 2014

Chemistry of Art: Pigment Research
Please follow the instructions in the Chemistry of Art: Pigment Research document and
type your responses into the sections below.
Objective
Answer the question: How does art depend on chemistry?
Time Periods
Prehistory
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
Anhydrous iron(III)-oxide, Iron oxyhydroxide, Iron(III)-oxide, partly
hydrated + manganese oxide + aluminium oxide, Amorphous carbon,
calcium phosphate + calcium carbonate +carbon, calcium carbonate
(chalk) calcium carbonate + calcium hydroxide
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
safe to use
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
N/A
Antiquity
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
Made with ground pigment with gums or animal glue
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
Madder Lake: Non-toxic
Indigo: Non-toxic
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
C14H8O4, C14H8O5
C16H10 N2O2
Medieval Age
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
complex aluminosilicate minerals, basic copper(II) carbonate, Basic
Copper acetate, Basic copper(II)-carbonate, A complex sulfur-containing
sodium aluminum silicate, arsenic sulfide

 Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?

malachite - Basic copper(II)-carbonate - moderately toxic
verdigris - Basic Copper acetate - moderately toxic
realgar Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
Cu(OH)2 (CH3COO)2 5 H2O
2 CuCO3.Cu(OH)2
K[(Al,FeIII),(FeII,Mg](AlSi3,Si4)O10(OH)2
Renaissance & Baroque
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
Egg, walnut, linseed oil
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
Naples yellow: Very toxic
Smalt: Moderately toxic
Carmine lake: Non-toxic
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
SiO2(65%) + K20 (15%) + Al2O3 (5%) + CoO (10%)
Pb(SbO3)2 or Pb(SbO4)2
N/A
Modern Age
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
Industrialization
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
chrome orange (Basic lead(II)-chromate) moderately toxic
chrome yellow (lead(II)-chromate) toxic
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
chrome orange: moderately toxic
chrome yellow: toxic
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
PbCrO4 Pb(OH)2
PbCrO4
Contemporary Age

 What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this
time period?
Lead white
Vermilion
Cobalt blue
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
lead white: toxic
vermilion: moderately toxic
Cobalt blue: non-toxic
Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
2 PbCO3 Pb(OH)2
HgS
CoO Al2O3
Pigments
Pigment #1: Lead white
unnoticeable at first
dries fast
is toxic
Pigment #3: Bone black
contains nearly 6% calcium carbonate 10% carbon, 84% calcium phosphate
is non toxic
used early on and today
Pigment #5: Madder
extremely stable pigment that is natural
used as the color for French military cloth
is non toxic
Look Closer: Scientific Techniques
Technique #1: Ultraviolet
UV light is used in the process of painting restoration. In some cases artists hide hidden
messages in their paintings that can only be seen with a black light. Using uv in
restoration reveals color not seen by the naked eye making it easier to restore the
paintings.

Technique #2: Infrared Light

Infrared light is used for paintings to reveal layers underneath, in particular the outline
drawn by the artist in the beginning. This is helpful information in deciding whether a
painting is a true work of art by the artist himself or just a copy.

Technique #3: Tomography

This method is used to virtually cut an object in half and examine it using penetration
radiation. CT allows to see inside of artwork making it easier to examine it. Its useful
when attempting to reconstruct the art piece.
Conclusion
In a minimum half page of writing, using the information you just
researched, respond to the question: How does art depend on chemistry?
You can say art depends quite a bit on chemistry, but that would be understatement.
Without chemistry there is no art. At least none with color. Why does art depend on
chemistry so much, well the biggest reason pigments. Pigments are what give color to
the paint artists use to create their masterpieces with. When a painter picks what
pigments or colors he is going to use for his piece he is practically picking what chemical
substances will be in is piece. Different shades of colors/pigments are cause by different
chemical formulas. Colors are quite unstable, a simple change to the formula and it
becomes a completely different color. Pigments are made from many chemical
compounds. Pigments arent all art gets from chemistry. Through Chemistry many
Ancient art pieces have been saved. Chemistry plays a huge part is art conservation.
Over time many different techniques using chemistry have been created to not on
conserve art but to also restore it.