cinabrese
REDS.—As regards red pigments, many shades of this colour were obtained from the native red oxides of iron, varying from an orange to a purple hue. Besides these the ancients used burnt ochres and siennas to obtain reds, as we do today, and we find them perfectly permanent.
The term " sinopia," and its different renderings such as " sinopis," " cynople," " sinopre," " cinobrium," etc., have been applied to different red pigments, over and over again, in classical and mediæval documents, to colours which embrace red iron earths, minium, or red lead, madder-red and vermilion, or the native red cinnabar. The latter word is derived from sinopia, and therefore the true sinopia would simply be cinnabar or native quicksilver vermilion, the native red sulphide of mercury. The sinopia mentioned by Pliny as having been used by Apelles was a native oxide of iron brought from Sinopia, a city of Pontus, also from Egypt and the Balearic Isles. This was probably hematite, the mineral from which is obtained the modern pigment known as Indian red, and not the brilliant red derived from cinnabar earth. It is somewhat surprising to read in the MSS. of Alcherius (circa 1400), that " sinopis is a colour redder than vermilion ; it is also called cinobrium and mellana, and is made from madder." Cinnabar or vermilion is one of the oldest colours known to the Chinese, as they used both the native and artificial varieties more than two thousand years ago, and Chinese vermilion was imported from China into Europe in the thirteenth century. The native cinnabar was, however, prepared as a pigment and used by artists in Europe at a much earlier date. It is obtained from the quicksilver mines of Europe, and notably from those of Spain, where it is still found.
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REDS.—As regards red pigments, many shades of this colour were obtained from the native red oxides of iron, varying from an orange to a purple hue. Besides these the ancients used burnt ochres and siennas to obtain reds, as we do today, and we find them perfectly permanent.
The term " sinopia," and its different renderings such as " sinopis," " cynople," " sinopre," " cinobrium," etc., have been applied to different red pigments, over and over again, in classical and mediæval documents, to colours which embrace red iron earths, minium, or red lead, madder-red and vermilion, or the native red cinnabar. The latter word is derived from sinopia, and therefore the true sinopia would simply be cinnabar or native quicksilver vermilion, the native red sulphide of mercury. The sinopia mentioned by Pliny as having been used by Apelles was a native oxide of iron brought from Sinopia, a city of Pontus, also from Egypt and the Balearic Isles. This was probably hematite, the mineral from which is obtained the modern pigment known as Indian red, and not the brilliant red derived from cinnabar earth. It is somewhat surprising to read in the MSS. of Alcherius (circa 1400), that " sinopis is a colour redder than vermilion ; it is also called cinobrium and mellana, and is made from madder." Cinnabar or vermilion is one of the oldest colours known to the Chinese, as they used both the native and artificial varieties more than two thousand years ago, and Chinese vermilion was imported from China into Europe in the thirteenth century. The native cinnabar was, however, prepared as a pigment and used by artists in Europe at a much earlier date. It is obtained from the quicksilver mines of Europe, and notably from those of Spain, where it is still found.
- bill 11-05-2010 8:29 pm