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Culture Documents
Date: 11/5/14
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?
binded with dirt or charcoal mixed with spit or animal fat
earth pigments!
minerals limonite and hematite, red ochre, yellow ochre andumber), charcoal
from the fire (carbon black), burnt bones (bone black) and white from
grounded calcite (lime white)
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?Please include any chemical
formulas or reactions
carbon black (Amorphous carbon)- non toxic
bone black (calcium phosphate + calcium carbonate +carbon)- non toxic
umber (Iron(III)-oxide, partly hydrated + manganese oxide + aluminium oxide)non toxic
red ochre(Anhydrous iron(III)-oxide) - non toxic
yellow ochre(Iron oxyhydroxide) - non toxic
lime white (calcium carbonate (chalk))- non toxic
Antiquity
What elements and natural materials were pigments created from during this time
period?Please include any chemical formulas or reactions
binded with wax
primarily black, red, yellow, brown, blue, and green pigments
Were the elements and pigments toxic or safe to use?
madder (Alizarin) non toxic
indigo(Indigotin) non toxic
red ochre
yellow ochre
umber
Pigments
Pigment #1: Lead white
not noticeable at first glance
prepared from metallic lead and vinegar
fastest drying
toxic
Pigment #1: Azurite
composed of mineral basic carbonate of copper, found in many parts of the
world in the upper oxidized portions of copper ore deposits.
moderately toxic
used by Egyptians
Pigment #3: Bone black
smooth texture
contains about 10% carbon, 84% calcium phosphate and 6 % calcium carbonate
non toxic
used prehistory-today
Conclusion
In a minimum half page of writing, using the information you just researched, respond to
the question: How does art depend on chemistry?
Art depends on chemistry in ways that are easily visible to the eye using techniques
to unfold the mystery hidden beneath. Chemistry is the branch of science that deals with
the identification of the substances in which matter is composed and the investigation of
their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change to then form new
substances. In art, pigments are the basis of all paint. They are what define the color. These
pigments are composed of chemical compounds. An example would be ultramarine which is
complex sulfur-containing sodium aluminum silicate. Even though they started binding
these pigments with spit or fat, they did not yet understand the fact that some pigments
could be toxic. Some artists were affected by the toxicity of the paint. It wasnt a surprise
when the artists seemed to have gone a bit mad which made them able to portray their
crazy ideas in their paintings. As we have advanced in chemistry, we have found ways to
create pigments of various colors that do not share the same fatal outcome as they once
did. Each painting doesnt fail to show its own uniqueness. Any type of forgery could easily
be identified with modern technology. From detecting replacements to some cover ups,
sciences development has helped conserved the value of the paintings.