powdered shell gold; ultramarine blue; yellow or red pigment

Ingredients

gold, ultramarine blue

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Gold leaf was milled/ground to a very fine powder (shell gold). It could be diluted to create semi-transparent washes or mixed with other pigments (p. 105).

Evidence

"Under the microscope, the fine particles of the shell gold are even finer than the grains of the ultramarine blue pigment onto which it was painted (Fig. 19b). Diluted gold paint was also applied as a thin wash, as in the Virgin’s golden throne, and mixed with a yellow or red pigment for the tiled floor."

Remarks

Hours of Simon de Varie (85.ML.27). Jean Fouquet used varying dilutions of shell gold for calligraphic tracery and highlights on blue robes. The particles are notably finer than the underlying ultramarine blue pigment grains (p. 105).