The Alchemy of Paint - Art, Science and Secrets from the Middle Ages - Spike Bucklow
Vermilion: Towards the Philosophers' Stone
The Alchemy of Paint - Art, Science and Secrets from the Middle Ages - Spike Bucklow
Spike Bucklow [+]
Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge
Spike Bucklow trained as a chemist. He synthesized sex pheromones for cockroaches, then developed materials for use in special effects. His latex creations feature in films including Indiana Jones, Greystoke, Little Shop of Horrors, Princess Bride and the 1980s satirical show Spitting Image. He then studied Artificial Intelligence and briefly worked in technical management consultancy where he discovered art conservation. He gained a PhD in art history, and is now a Senior Research Scientist and Teacher of Theory based at the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge. He has written about pigment use in art for a number of journals and draws on a wide range of experience to develop his ideas.
Description
Like ultramarine, artists held vermilion in extraordinarily high esteem, but it did not have exotic geographic origins, it was not a sought-after medicine, nor was it very expensive. The reason it was valued is found in a particular variation on the theme of four elements. The previous chapter showed how the theory explained the physical separation of lapis. This chapter will see it provide the foundation for an alchemical union.