Concept · The Painter's Colors

Earth Pigments

Heat turns yellow earth red: it drives the water out of goethite, the yellow iron mineral, and leaves hematite, the red one.

People used this trick about 40,000 years ago. For earth colors in general, see Color Theory, Neutrals and Earth Colors.

• Hilary Becker (Art Institute of Chicago lecture, 2024) notes that the heat of Vesuvius turned some yellow walls at Herculaneum red.

See

• Self-Portrait

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