The pigment collection at the Harvard Art Museum.
Not all that long ago artists used to work with “colormen” who would help them find the right pigments to work with for their paintings. They would search far away places like the Middle East or even the wrappings of mummies to select the perfect pigment for a work of art. Today, with so many colors right at our fingertips, this seems like an impossible reality. Now all we need to do is log into Photoshop or flip through a Pantone book for thousands of hues.
The Harvard Art Museum has a fascinating collection of pigments on record. From beetle extract to rare metals, the collection is impressive and perfectly preserved. We found it so interesting to read about this collection of yesterday that we have to share the article with you here. To learn more read this Fast Company Design article.
The red and pink hues.
We even love these bottles that the pigment is stored in!
All images courtesy of Fast Company Design.
