Chapter 4 : Reflecting on colors

In the 1912 catalog, Gustave Sennelier goes even further. He gives a lesson on art materials to his customers. While reading this essay on the chemistry of colors,the artist is able to use his own judgment about which colors to em- ploy; there is no attempt to hoodwink him. The science of chemistry is a service that you have to respect,” he wrote. From pigments to the varnishes, by way of oil binders, this simple tutorial explains the history, the chemistry and the properties of each product. Pigments are the main subject. For example, we learn that Prussian Blue, “a transparent color,” which “helps mix very deep blacks,” was discovered accidentally in 1740 by a German manufacturer. Or consider Cadmium Yellow, created in 1817 – “the color of light, very brilliant, so much so that it makes Chrome Yellow look dowdy.” As a newcomer to this eld, one marvels at the different varieties of black, Ivory Black, Carbon Black, Mars Black. Or, as one stands in front of a palette of greens and studies, say, Viridian, “a green so vibrant that appears brighter under a gas lamp or a candle than in sunlight,” or Cobalt Green, Jade Green, Malachite Green, streaked with white or dark green, Olive Green, and also Chromium green, Cinnabar green. He also tells us about the color white, a fetish color for the Impressionists, symbol of purity and of the birth of new shades of white such as Zinc White which as of 1849 replaced Lead White and enabled very pure shades of white, so that the white was some- times called “Snow White.”According to the P.Richard's Book