Colour Story: Vermilion

Brilliant, distinctive and dangerous, vermilion has made its mark on art history over thousands of years. Find out more about this dramatic red.

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Colour story: Alizarin Crimson

Learn more about alizarin crimson, a deep red pigment with an eventful history to match its dramatic colour.

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Colour story: Phthalo Green

Explore the versatility of phthalo green, a pigment that produces everything from transparent, subtle colours to opaque and brilliant ones.

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Colour story: Cadmium Red

Discover the painstaking process of making cadmium red, an eyecatching pigment loved by artists for its brightness, strength and opacity.

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Colour story: Viridian

Viridian pigment is an intense bluish-green colour. Mixed with yellow, orange or red, it gives life to an impressive range of natural greens.

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Grey matter: a colour story of the old and new

We chronicle the long-standing versatility of this seemingly understated colour, from stained-glass grisaille techniques to stainless steel. This is the story of the colour grey.

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Pink: a colour journey from the peaceful to the political

Blossom, Barbie, punk and pantsuit protests. Climb on board the cultural rollercoaster ride of the colour pink.

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Brown: a common colour that’s far from ordinary

The colour brown is all around us. It blends in; it’s often perceived as dull. But its past is full of intrigue, from deep-sea creatures to ground up mummies.

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Orange: Peeling back the layers of a fruitful history

What was once simply a name for a citrus fruit is now the term used to describe vibrant, sunny orange. The colour has intrigued religions, artists and social movements throughout...

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All that glitters is gold: a spotlight on the world’s most precious colour

From gold leaf to kintsugi, we explore humankind’s relationship with gold, the world’s most precious colour that has symbolised wealth, opulence and spirituality for millennia.

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Purple: an enchanting pigment reserved for royals and rulers

Purple is captivating and enchanting. From deep purple to lilac and ultraviolet, it conjures up ideas of magic, royalty, and psychedelia.

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