Our interest in what might be called Yellow Lake— a broad range of historical pigments— comes from reading old books on pigments, namely an illustrious tome known as Field’s Chromatography.
The discussion of Genuine Indian Yellow may be found on the page for NY20.
This entry is a space for the myriad of confusing terms and possibilities when the exact Yellow Lake remains a mystery.
This interest in unidentified yellow lakes came from my own studies of famous painters palettes, and was further stirred by encountering the abiguous term Yellow Lake in art historical analysis. When they say Rembrandt or Vermeer used "yellow lake" which pigment is meant? It turns out Yellow Lakes can be many things.
Since we are not art history experts on their differentiation, if you are an expert and would like to contribute to this article, please reach out. We found some interesting modern resources such as this article on Identification of yellow lake pigments in paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer which discusses weld and Rhamnus extract (buckthorn), and surely there are many good resources out there specific to each painter.
The following discussion relies heavily on Field and his understanding of yellow lake pigments in the mid 19th century. He wrote in the mid 19th century that "Yellow Lake and Italian Pink are obtained from quercitron bark—glucoside quercitrin," while "Indian and Gamboge are prepared from resinous secretions." Just for clarity, the pink referred to here is not a pink (not a rosy color) at all but sometimes is a brown or a yellow.
A quick note on terminology. According to Field, is "A Lake is a pigment prepared by precipitating an animal or vegetable colouring matter in combination with a metallic base, usually alumina."
Here we will quote from Field rather liberally. His work presents a snapshot into the terminology of the late 19th century.
Quercitron Lakes
In the section on Quercitron Lakes, Field writes, "Quercitron Lakes comprise Yellow Carmine, Italian Pink, and Yellow Lake. They are prepared by precipitating the colouring matter of quercitron bark with alumina. Quercitron bark is obtained from the "Quercus tinctorial" a kind of oak indigenous in North America. The colouring matter exists in the bark as a glucoside, i.e. in combination with glucose. This glucoside has been termed Quercitrin." In the Artiscreation pigment database, we found two relevant entries for Quercitron, NY10 and NY13. The use of the name "pink" to describe a yellow lake may also extend to other colorants such as the Buckthorn berry or a plant from the genus Rhamnus. More on this in the entries NY13 and NY14.
Another candidate for Yellow Lake may be something which was called Yellow Carmine, which also sounds like Quercitron. Field writes, "Sometimes sold under the name of Yellow Madder, is the most concentrated lake prepared from Quercitron Bark. It is very rich, powerful, and transparent; but does not resist the action of light, and dries rather badly. If it could only be depended on, yellow carmine would be of great value in glazing." More on this in the entry for NY13.
Another confusing name for Yellow Lakes may be what Field calls Italian Pink.
Italian Pink
"Contains more alumina and less colouring matter than the preceding pigment, and is consequently not so rich and powerful, but is in other respects similar." More on Quercitron in the NY13 entry.
In another quercitron case, Field Describes the name Yellow Lake to be referring to quercitron.
Yellow Lake
"Is a still weaker preparation. It resembles Italian pink, but is more lemon in hue."
Here we leave the world of Quercitron and head out into unknown territory. Field uses the term gamboge to describe a preparation of vegetable matter, but it can also sometimes be used to describe other substances, usually from a tree in genus Garcinia. He writes,
Gamboge, "Is principally obtained from the gokathu tree in Ceylon and Siam. It is a gum-resin which exudes from the wounded leaves and young shoots. Gamboge is a bright transparent yellow ; but has no great depth. In its deepest touches it shines too much and verges on brown.When properly used it is more durable than is generally reputed both in water and oil; and when mixed with other colours conduces to their stability, and helps them keep their place. It is deepened to some extent by impure air, and somewhat weakened by the action of light. In water it works remarkably well; but is with difficulty employed in oil in the dry condition. Gamboge may be rendered diffusible as an oil colour by forming it into a paste with water, and mixing it with lemon yellow. The best method is, however, to combine it with alumina.
Field also mentions a specific preparation of gamboge called Extract of Gamboge
"The pigment now known as ‘Extract of Gamboge’ is a compound of gamboge and alumina." For more, reference NY24.
Here we begin the voyage into the term Indian Yellow, which also could possibly be considered a Yellow Lake depending on that from which it is made. Indian Yellow
"Is a pigment which has long been employed in India under the name "Purree" but has only in modern times been introduced into Europe. It consists of euxanthate of magnesia, and is obtained from the urine of the camel. It has a beautiful pure yellow colour, and light powdery texture; is of greater body and depth than gamboge, but is inferior in these respects to gallstone. Indian yellow resists the sun's rays with singular power in water colour painting ; yet, in ordinary light and air, or even in a book, the beauty of its colour is not lasting. In oil, both alone and in tint, it is decidedly fugitive. Owing, probably, to its alkaline nature, it has an injurious effect on carmine and cochineal lakes, when mixed with them. Indian yellow works and washes admirably, and may be used in fresco." A great number of colors have been named Indian Yellow. It’s interesting that Field mentions the camel as we have more often heard that it was possibly made from the urine of the cow (the famous cow and mango leaves story). Reference the entry for NY20 for the discussion of Genuine Indian Yellow, the extinct pigment. Golden did some research on a sample of genuine Indian Yellow.
Field mentions gallstone, which may have been used as a name for Quercitron lake, however it sounds like he is referring to something different. Gallstone, "Is a deep-toned, gorgeous yellow, affording richer tints than most other yellows ; but it cannot be depended on for permanence, and therefore is seldom employed. Its colour is soon changed and destroyed by strong light, although not affected by impure air. In oil it is ineligible. True gallstone is an animal calculus formed in the gall-bladder of oxen; but the pigment sold under that name is often a substitute, resembling the original in colour, but of greater stability."
Field does not go into some of the other yellow lakes which have been used in oil painting such as Weld (Reseda), or NY2.
Historical yellow lakes tended not to be lightfast.
