Hunting Down the World’s Most Brilliant Colors!

Have you ever wondered where colors come from? Who collects them? And how did they end up in the world’s most famous paintings? We’re discovering the magical world of pigments and the lengths we will go to bring colors into our lives!

Crushed beetles, burnt peach stones, cow urine, and ancient tsunami-tossed spruce cones may sound like the start of some mystical tincture, but you won’t find these rattling around the junk drawer of a dabbling sorcerer. No, instead, you’ll find this odd assortment of ingredients hanging on the walls of some of the world’s most famous museums! These are just a handful of the ways we’ve managed to capture some of our favorite colors (red, black, yellow, and blue, respectively) for thousands of years.

By Sam Burns

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