Madder Yellow

: ON THE PRIMARY, YELLOW.

As our (the Editor's) experience of this product is somewhat at variance

with that of the author, we subjoin his original statement. "Madder

yellow is a preparation from the madder-root. The best is of a bright

colour, resembling Indian yellow, but more powerful and transparent,

though hardly equal to it in durability of hue; metallic, terrene, and

alkaline substances acting on and reddening it as they do gamboge: even

alone it has by time a natural tendency to become orange and foxy. We

have produced it of various hues and tints, from an opaque and ochrous

yellow, to a colour the most brilliant, transparent, and deep. Upon the

whole, however, after an experience of many years, we do not consider

them eligible pigments."



While agreeing with Mr. Field as to the character given of these

yellows, we must confess that we have never been able to obtain, nor

have we ever seen, a "most brilliant" madder yellow. Colours bearing

that name have come under our notice, but if their hue was pure and

vivid, they have always proved to be falsely so called, the madder being

conspicuous by its absence. What we have succeeded in producing, and the

genuine samples we have met with, have been fawns, buffs, drabs, &c.,

decidedly "ochrous" yellows, and wanting in stability. It is certain

that no true madder yellow, brilliant and pure, ranks as a pigment at

the present day. A variety known as Cory's Yellow Madder may be briefly