In Search of A Lost History

Did painters of the past have better earth tones?

Quite possibly yes.

We were fascinated to read about references to older, no-longer-available earths, and how much more painters liked them. For example, we have paints labeled Raw Sienna today, but the paints from the past labeled Raw Sienna may have been mined from sources that have long since run out-- for example in Sienna, Italy, from whence the paint derived its name.

Painter hearsay tells us that there may even be a black market of sorts for actual Raw Sienna genuine, however we haven't run across any confirmed sources yet.

The revelation that the earths of the past were superior sent me off in search of descriptions of these long-lost colors, and some of the descriptions are enchanting indeed. We found a few to share in the latest article on PBr7- In Search of a Lost History.

Before you do what I did and rush off to buy a lot of crumbling tubes of antique earth tones, I will say that while I do love the earth tones of the past, unless you're using them in passages where the pure color can really shine, the differences are a bit subtle. If a person were only painting in sepia tones in the style of old master drawings or something then the trouble may be worth it.

While I agree with the writers who highlighted their beauty, the good news is that we actually have some amazing pigments available to us from boutique makers thanks to the internet age and the way it opens up small niche markets-- like wild-foraged pigments.

The economics involved may make it difficult for major manufacturers to source gorgeous pigments that cannot be mined at scale. So it's interesting to consider that the writers who praised the older stock were writing before Etsy and Ebay. Thankfully we do have some great small-batch earth pigment makers and manufacturers who have gone out of their way outfit our palettes with high quality earths. Whether they are as excellent as the older ones is hard to say.

Descriptions of some of the older unavailable earth tones can be found in the article.

Here's to rare and gorgeous earths, and legends of a lost history.

Happy Painting!