The Root Of The Matter

The Arnolfini Marriage by van Eyck, 1434

Rubia is a genus of the madder family, Rubiaceae, which contains about 60 species of perennial climbing herbs native to Africa, temperate Asia, and America. The genus and its best known species are also known as Madder. Madder has been cultivated as a dyestuff since antiquity in central Asia and Egypt where it was grown as early as 1500 BCE. Cloth dyed with madder root pigment was found in the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Corinth.

In 1826, the French chemist, Pierre-Jean Robiquet, found that madder root contained two colorants, the red alizarin and the more rapidly fading purpurin, The alizarin component became the first natural dye to be synthetically duplicated by German scientists. Rose madder is the crushed root of the Common Madder plant. The ancient Egyptians used rose madder to create pinkish rose-colored textile dyes.

Rose madder saw limited use as an oil paint during the Renaissance because it was considered a weak color. In the 19th century, chemists were able to manufacture a pigment that made rose madder a stronger and more durable oil paint. However, during the latter part of the 19th century, alizarin crimson was created and was considered at the time to be a superior replacement to rose madder. It is the synthetic form of rose madder and was soon discovered by artists to be a perfect color on the palette, making beautiful violets when mixed with blue, and perfect blacks and neutrals when mixed with a dark green like viridian or pthalo green.

All from a humble plant root.

Just paint it!