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{{other uses}}
{{short description|Earth pigment}}
{{short description|Earth pigment}}
⚫
{{other uses}}
{{infobox color| title=Umber| image=
{{infobox color
| caption=| symbolism=| hex=635147
| title=Umber
| r=99 | g=81 | b=71
| hex=635147
| c=0 | m=18 | y=28 | k=61
| h=21.4 | s=28.3 | v=38.8 | source=ColorHexa<ref>{{cite web |title=Umber / #635147 hex color |url=https://www.colorhexa.com/635147 |website=ColorHexa |access-date=2021-11-12}}</ref>
| source=ColorHexa<ref>{{cite web |title=Umber / #635147 hex color |url=https://www.colorhexa.com/635147 |website=ColorHexa |access-date=2021-11-12}}</ref>}}
[[File:Jules_Bastien-Lepage_-_Pas_Mèche_(Nothing_Doing)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg|thumb|[[Jules Bastien-Lepage]], Pas Meche, 1882. An example of the shadows created by using umber in a painting.<ref name="Lesso-2020">{{Cite web |last=Lesso |first=Rosie |date=2020-05-12 |title=The Mysterious Shadows of Umber – the thread |url=https://blog.fabrics-store.com/2020/05/12/the-mysterious-shadows-of-umber/ |access-date=2023-04-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>|298x298px]]
| isccname=}}
'''Umber''' is a natural earth pigment consisting of [[iron oxide]] and [[manganese oxide]]; it has a brownish color that can vary among shades of yellow, red, and green.<ref name="Helwig-2007" />{{Rp|page=39}} Umber is considered one of the oldest pigments known to humans, first seen in [[Ajanta Caves]] in 200 BC – 600 AD.<ref name="Eastaugh-2007">{{Cite book |last1=Eastaugh |first1=Nicholas |last2=Walsh |first2=Valentine |last3=Chaplin |first3=Tracey |last4=Siddall |first4=Ruth |date=2007-03-30 |title=Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780080473765 |doi=10.4324/9780080473765|isbn=9781136373862 }}</ref>{{Rp|page=378}} Umber's advantages are its highly versatile color, warm tone, and quick drying abilities.<ref name="Harley-2001">{{Cite book |last=Harley |first=R. D. (Rosamond Drusilla) |url=http://archive.org/details/artistspigmentsc0000harl |title=Artists' pigments c.1600–1835 : a study in English documentary sources |date=2001 |publisher=London : Archetype Publications |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-1-873132-91-3}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=148–49}} While some sources indicate that umber's name comes from its geographic origin in [[Umbria]], other scholars suggest that it derives from the Latin word ''umbra'', which means "shadow".<ref name="Clair-2017">{{Cite book |last=Clair |first=Kassia St |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0gUEDgAAQBAJ&dq=secret+lives+of+color&pg=PP1 |title=The Secret Lives of Color |date=2017-10-24 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-5247-0494-0 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=250}} The belief that its name derives from the word for shadow is fitting, as the color helps create shadows.<ref name="Clair-2017" />{{Rp|page=250}} The color is primarily produced in [[Cyprus]].<ref name="Clair-2017" />{{Rp|page=250}} Umber is typically mined from [[Open-pit mining|open pits]] or [[Mining|underground mines]] and ground into a fine powder that is washed to remove impurities.<ref name="webexhibits">{{Cite web |title=Pigments through the Ages – Overview – Umber |url=https://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/umber.html |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=www.webexhibits.org}}</ref> In the 20th century, the rise of synthetic dyes decreased the demand for natural pigments such as umber.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
'''Umber''' is a natural [[brown]] or reddish-brown [[earth pigment]] that contains [[iron oxide]] and [[manganese oxide]]. Umber is darker than the other similar earth pigments, [[ochre]] and [[sienna]].<ref name=SOED02>{{cite book |title=Shorter Oxford English Dictionary |url=https://archive.org/details/shorteroxfordeng00will_0 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2002 |quote=A red brown earth containing iron and manganese oxides and darker than ochre and sienna, used to make various pigments. |edition=5th}}</ref>


⚫
==History==
In its natural form, it is called raw umber. When heated ([[Calcination|calcinated]]), the color becomes more intense, and then becomes known as burnt umber.
The earliest documented uses of umber date from between 200 BC and 600 AD during the [[Neolithic Period|neolithic period]] in the [[Ajanta Caves]] found in India.<ref name="Eastaugh-2007" /> [[Ochre|Ocher]], a family of earth pigments which includes umber, has been identified in the caves of [[Cave of Altamira|Altamira]] in [[Spain]] and the [[Lascaux Cave]] in [[France]].<ref name="Clair-2017" />{{Rp|page=251}} Some sources indicate that umber was not frequently used in medieval art because of its emphasis on bright and vivid colors.<ref name="Gettens-1966">{{Cite book |last=Gettens |first=Rutherford J. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/518445 |title=Painting materials : a short encyclopaedia |date=1966 |publisher=Dover Publications |others=George L. Stout |isbn=0-486-21597-0 |location=New York |oclc=518445}}</ref>{{Rp|page=166}} Other sources indicate, however, that umber was used in the Middle Ages to create different shades of brown, most often seen for skin tones.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Medieval manuscripts blog: Science |url=https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/science/page/5/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=blogs.bl.uk}}</ref> Umber's use in Europe increased in the late 15th century.<ref name="Gettens-1966" />{{Rp|page=168}} Umber became more popular during the [[Renaissance]] when its versatility, earthy appearance, availability, and inexpensiveness were recognized.<ref name="Clair-2017" />{{Rp|page=251}}
[[File:Lascaux_II.jpg|thumb|Reproduction of ''[[Lascaux]]'' cave paintings, which are around 17,000 years old.<ref name="Lesso-2020" />|243x243px]]
Umber gained widespread popularity in Dutch landscape painting in the eighteenth century.<ref name="Eastaugh-2007" />{{Rp|page=378}} Artists recognized the value of umber's high stability, inertness, and drying abilities.<ref name="Harley-2001" />{{Rp|pages=148–49}} It became a standard color within eighteenth-century palettes throughout Europe.<ref name="Eastaugh-2007" />{{Rp|page=378}} Umber's popularity grew during the [[Baroque Period|Baroque period]] with the rise of the [[chiaroscuro]] style.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Umber allowed painters to create an intense light and dark contrast.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} [[Underpainting]] was another popular technique for painting that used umber as a base color.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-02 |title=Underpainting advice |url=https://www.pototschnik.com/under-painting-advice/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=John Pototschnik Fine Art}}</ref> Umber was valuable in deploying this technique, creating a range of earth like tones with various layering of color.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}  


Toward the end of the 19th century, the [[Impressionist movement]] started to use cheaper and more readily available [[synthetic dyes]] and reject [[natural pigment]]s like umber to create mixed hues of brown.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The [[Impressionism|Impressionists]] chose to make their own browns from mixtures of red, yellow, green, blue and other pigments, particularly the new synthetic pigments such as [[cobalt blue]] and [[Shades of green|emerald green]] that had just been introduced.<ref name="Clair-2017" /> In the 20th century, natural umber pigments began to be replaced by pigments made with synthetic [[iron oxide]] and [[manganese oxide]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
The name comes from ''terra d'ombra'', or earth of [[Umbria]], the Italian name of the pigment. Umbria is a mountainous region in central [[Italy]] where the pigment was originally extracted.<ref name=SOED02/> The word also may be related to the Latin word ''umbra'', meaning "shadow".<ref name="StClair">{{Cite book|title=The Secret Lives of Colour|last=St. Clair|first=Kassia|publisher=John Murray|year=2016|isbn=9781473630819|location=London|page=250–252|oclc=936144129}}</ref>


== Criticism ==
Umber is not one precise color, but a range of different colors, from medium to dark, from yellowish to reddish to grayish. The color of the natural earth depends upon the amount of iron oxide and manganese in the clay.<ref name="StClair" /> Umber earth pigments contain between five and twenty percent manganese oxide, which accounts for their being a darker color than yellow ochre or sienna.<ref name=roelofs>{{harvnb|Roelofs|Petillion|2012|p=30}}</ref> Commercial colors vary depending upon the manufacturer or the color list. Not all umber pigments contain natural earths; some contain synthetic iron and manganese oxide, indicated on the label. Pigments containing the natural umber earths indicate them on the label as PBr7 (Pigment brown 7), following the [[Colour Index International]] system.
Beginning in the 17th century, umber was increasingly criticized within the art community. British painter Edward Norgate, prominent with British royalty and aristocracy, called umber "a foul and greasy color."<ref name="Helwig-2007">{{Cite book |last=Helwig |first=Kate |url= |title=Artists' pigments : a handbook of their history and characteristics |publisher=National Gallery of Art |year=2007 |isbn= |volume=4 |location=Washington |pages=39–109 |chapter=Iron Oxides |oclc=12804059}}</ref>{{Rp|page=56}} In the 18th century, Spanish painter [[Antonio Palomino]] called umber "very false."<ref name="Helwig-2007" />{{Rp|page=56}} [[Jan Blockx]], a Belgian painter, opined, "umber should not appear on the palette of the conscientious painter."<ref name="Helwig-2007" />{{Rp|page=56}}


== Visual properties ==
⚫
{{Clear}}
Umber is a natural brown pigment extracted from [[clay]] containing [[iron]], [[manganese]], and [[hydroxide]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles. |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |editor=Lesley Brown |isbn=0-19-860575-7 |edition=5th |location=Oxford |oclc=50017616}}</ref> Umber has diverse hues, ranging from yellow-brown to reddish-brown and even green-brown. The color shade varies depending on the proportions of the components. When heated, umber becomes a more intense color and can look almost black. Burnt umber is produced by calcining the raw version.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The raw form of umber is typically used for [[ceramic]]s because it is less expensive.<ref name="Raw Umber">{{Cite web |title=Raw Umber |url=https://digitalfire.com/material/raw+umber}}</ref>


These warm and earthy tones make it a valuable and versatile pigment for [[oil painting]] and other artwork.<ref name="Raw Umber" /> Umber's high opacity and reactivity of light allow the pigment to have strong [[hiding power]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Umber – CAMEO |url=https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Umber |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=cameo.mfa.org |language=en}}</ref> It is insoluble in [[water]], resistant to [[alkali]]s and weak acids, and non-reactive with [[cement]], [[solvent]]s, [[oil]]s, and most [[resin]]s.<ref name="Raw Umber" /> Umber is known for its stability.<ref name="Harley-2001" />{{Rp|page=149}}
{{gallery
{{gallery
|title = Pigment samples
|title = Pigment samples
Line 26: Line 31:
}}
}}


== Notable occurrences ==
{{Clear}}
[[File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg|thumb|314x314px|[[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Mona Lisa]], Early 16th century. A Laboratory analysis has revealed the presence of umber.<ref name="Foundation-2012">{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Mona Lisa |date=2012-09-08 |title=Analysis of the Materials used in the 'Earlier Mona Lisa' |url=https://monalisa.org/2012/09/08/leonardos-materials-the-canvas-the-paint/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=The Mona Lisa Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>]]

Umber became widely used throughout the [[Renaissance|Renaissance period]] for oil paintings.<ref name="naturalpigments">{{Cite web |last=O'Hanlon|first=George|title=Umber: The Historical And Versatile Earth Pigment - Its Uses, Properties, And Sustainability |url=https://www.naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/umber-exploring-natural-brown-earth-pigment |date=March 12, 2023|access-date=2023-04-15 |website=www.naturalpigments.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414225619/https://www.naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/umber-exploring-natural-brown-earth-pigment|archive-date=April 14, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[Mona Lisa]], [[Leonardo da Vinci]] used umber for the brown tones throughout his subject’s hair and clothing.<ref name="Foundation-2012" /> [[Leonardo da Vinci|Da Vinci]] also extensively used umber in his painting the [[Last Supper]] to create shadows and outlines of the figures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-12 |title=What is actually depicted on The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci? |url=https://arthive.com/publications/2590~What_is_actually_depicted_on_The_Last_Supper_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Arthive}}</ref> Throughout the [[Baroque painting|Baroque]] period, many renowned painters used umber.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}
⚫
==History==
Umber was one of the first pigments used by humans; it is found along with carbon black, red and yellow ocher in cave paintings from the [[Neolithic]] period.<ref name="StClair" />

Dark brown pigments were rarely used in [[Medieval art]]; artists of that period preferred bright, distinct colors such as red, blue and green.{{Sfn|St. Clair|2016|p=237}} The umbers were not widely used in Europe before the end of the fifteenth century; the Renaissance painter and writer [[Giorgio Vasari]] (1511–1574) described them as being rather new in his time.<ref>{{harvnb|Thompson|1956|pp=88–89}}</ref>

The great age of umber was the ''baroque'' period, where it often provided the dark shades in the [[chiaroscuro]] (light-dark) style of painting. It was an important part of the palette of [[Caravaggio]] (1571–1610) and [[Rembrandt]] (1606–1669).<ref name="StClair" /> Rembrandt used it as an important element of his rich and complex browns, and he also took advantage of its other qualities; it dried more quickly than other browns, and therefore he often used it as a ground so he could work more quickly, or mixed it with other pigments to speed up the drying process.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/umber.html |publisher=WebExhibits |work=Pigments through the Ages |title=Umber}}</ref> The Dutch artist [[Johannes Vermeer]] used umber to create shadows on [[Whitewash|whitewashed]] walls that were [[Warm color|warmer]] and more harmonious than those created with black pigment.

In the second half of the 19th century, the [[Impressionists]] rebelled against the use of umber and other earth colors. [[Camille Pissarro]] denounced the "old, dull earth colors" and said he had banned them from his palette.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/industrialization.html |publisher=WebExhibits |work=Pigments through the ages |title=Industrialization}}</ref>{{Sfn|St. Clair|2016|p=237}} The impressionists chose to make their own browns from mixtures of red, yellow, green, blue and other pigments, particularly the new synthetic pigments such as [[cobalt blue]] and [[Shades of green|emerald green]] that had just been introduced.{{Sfn|St. Clair|2016|p=237}}

In the 20th century, natural umber pigments began to be replaced by pigments made with synthetic iron oxide and manganese oxide. Natural umber pigments are still being made, with [[Cyprus]] as a prominent source. Pigments containing the natural earths are labeled as PBr7, or Brown pigment 7.


{{gallery
{{gallery
Line 50: Line 46:


===Raw umber===
===Raw umber===
{{infobox color|textcolor=white|
{{infobox color
title= Raw Umber|
|title=Raw Umber
hex=826644 |
|hex=826644
r=130|g=102|b= 68|
c= 0|m= 22|y= 48|k= 49|
h= 33|s= 48|v= 51<ref>[http://web.forret.com/tools/color.asp?RGB=%23826644 web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code of color #826644 (Raw Umber):]</ref>
|source=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220208/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-r.htm ISCC-NBS]
|source=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220208/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-r.htm ISCC-NBS]
|isccname=Moderate yellowish brown}}
|isccname=Moderate yellowish brown}}
Displayed at the right is one version of the color '''raw umber'''.
This is the color '''raw umber'''.

⚫
{{Clear}}


===Burnt umber===
===Burnt umber===
{{infobox color|
{{infobox color
title=Burnt umber|
|title=Burnt umber
hex=8A3324|
|hex=8A3324
textcolor=white|
r=138|g= 51|b =36|
c= 0|m= 63|y= 74|k= 46|
h= 9|s= 74|v= 54
|source=[http://xona.com/colorlist/ Xona.com Color List]
|source=[http://xona.com/colorlist/ Xona.com Color List]
|isccname=Strong reddish brown}}
|isccname=Strong reddish brown}}


'''Burnt umber''' is made by heating raw umber, which dehydrates the iron oxides and changes them partially to the more reddish [[hematite]]. It's used for both oil and water color paint.<ref name="StClair" />
'''Burnt umber''' is made by heating raw umber, which dehydrates the iron oxides and changes them partially to the more reddish [[hematite]]. It is used for both oil and water color paint.<ref name="StClair">{{Cite book|title=The Secret Lives of Colour|last=St. Clair|first=Kassia|publisher=John Murray|year=2016|isbn=9781473630819|location=London|pages=250–252|oclc=936144129}}</ref>


The first recorded use of ''burnt umber'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1650.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 191; Color Sample of Burnt Umber: Page 53 Plate 15 Color Sample A12</ref>
The first recorded use of ''burnt umber'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1650.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 191; Color Sample of Burnt Umber: Page 53 Plate 15 Color Sample A12</ref>
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}


== See also ==
==See also==
* [[List of colors]]
* [[Lists of colors]]
* [[List of inorganic pigments]]
* [[List of inorganic pigments]]


==References==
==References==
<references />
*{{cite book |first1=Isabelle |last1=Roelofs |first2=Fabien |last2=Petillion |title=La couleur expliquée aux artistes |publisher=Editions Eyrolles |year=2012 |isbn=978-2-212-13486-5 }}
*{{cite book |first=Philip |last=Ball |title=Histoire vivante des couleurs |publisher=Hazan Publishers |location=Paris |year=2001 |isbn=978-2-754105-033 }}
*{{cite book |first=Daniel V. |last=Thompson |title=The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting |publisher=Dover |year=1956 |isbn=0-486-20327-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/materialstechniq00thom |url-access=registration }}

==Sources and citations==
{{reflist}}


== External links ==
==External links==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.essentialvermeer.com/palette/palette_umber.html |title=Raw Umber |publisher=Essential Vermeer}} — Discussion of umber and its use by Vermeer and other painters.
*{{cite web |url=http://www.essentialvermeer.com/palette/palette_umber.html |title=Raw Umber |publisher=Essential Vermeer}} — Discussion of umber and its use by Vermeer and other painters.


Latest revision as of 03:02, 14 May 2024

For other uses, see Umber (disambiguation).
Umber
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet#635147
sRGBB (r, g, b)(99, 81, 71)
HSV (h, s, v)(21°, 28%, 39%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(36, 15, 39°)
SourceColorHexa[1]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)
Jules Bastien-Lepage, Pas Meche, 1882. An example of the shadows created by using umber in a painting.[2]

Umber is a natural earth pigment consisting of iron oxide and manganese oxide; it has a brownish color that can vary among shades of yellow, red, and green.[3]: 39  Umber is considered one of the oldest pigments known to humans, first seen in Ajanta Caves in 200 BC – 600 AD.[4]: 378  Umber's advantages are its highly versatile color, warm tone, and quick drying abilities.[5]: 148–49  While some sources indicate that umber's name comes from its geographic origin in Umbria, other scholars suggest that it derives from the Latin word umbra, which means "shadow".[6]: 250  The belief that its name derives from the word for shadow is fitting, as the color helps create shadows.[6]: 250  The color is primarily produced in Cyprus.[6]: 250  Umber is typically mined from open pits or underground mines and ground into a fine powder that is washed to remove impurities.[7] In the 20th century, the rise of synthetic dyes decreased the demand for natural pigments such as umber.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

The earliest documented uses of umber date from between 200 BC and 600 AD during the neolithic period in the Ajanta Caves found in India.[4] Ocher, a family of earth pigments which includes umber, has been identified in the caves of Altamira in Spain and the Lascaux Cave in France.[6]: 251  Some sources indicate that umber was not frequently used in medieval art because of its emphasis on bright and vivid colors.[8]: 166  Other sources indicate, however, that umber was used in the Middle Ages to create different shades of brown, most often seen for skin tones.[9] Umber's use in Europe increased in the late 15th century.[8]: 168  Umber became more popular during the Renaissance when its versatility, earthy appearance, availability, and inexpensiveness were recognized.[6]: 251 

Reproduction of Lascaux cave paintings, which are around 17,000 years old.[2]

Umber gained widespread popularity in Dutch landscape painting in the eighteenth century.[4]: 378  Artists recognized the value of umber's high stability, inertness, and drying abilities.[5]: 148–49  It became a standard color within eighteenth-century palettes throughout Europe.[4]: 378  Umber's popularity grew during the Baroque period with the rise of the chiaroscuro style.[citation needed] Umber allowed painters to create an intense light and dark contrast.[citation needed] Underpainting was another popular technique for painting that used umber as a base color.[10] Umber was valuable in deploying this technique, creating a range of earth like tones with various layering of color.[citation needed]  

Toward the end of the 19th century, the Impressionist movement started to use cheaper and more readily available synthetic dyes and reject natural pigments like umber to create mixed hues of brown.[citation needed] The Impressionists chose to make their own browns from mixtures of red, yellow, green, blue and other pigments, particularly the new synthetic pigments such as cobalt blue and emerald green that had just been introduced.[6] In the 20th century, natural umber pigments began to be replaced by pigments made with synthetic iron oxide and manganese oxide.[citation needed]

Criticism

[edit]

Beginning in the 17th century, umber was increasingly criticized within the art community. British painter Edward Norgate, prominent with British royalty and aristocracy, called umber "a foul and greasy color."[3]: 56  In the 18th century, Spanish painter Antonio Palomino called umber "very false."[3]: 56  Jan Blockx, a Belgian painter, opined, "umber should not appear on the palette of the conscientious painter."[3]: 56 

Visual properties

[edit]

Umber is a natural brown pigment extracted from clay containing iron, manganese, and hydroxides.[11] Umber has diverse hues, ranging from yellow-brown to reddish-brown and even green-brown. The color shade varies depending on the proportions of the components. When heated, umber becomes a more intense color and can look almost black. Burnt umber is produced by calcining the raw version.[citation needed] The raw form of umber is typically used for ceramics because it is less expensive.[12]

These warm and earthy tones make it a valuable and versatile pigment for oil painting and other artwork.[12] Umber's high opacity and reactivity of light allow the pigment to have strong hiding power.[13] It is insoluble in water, resistant to alkalis and weak acids, and non-reactive with cement, solvents, oils, and most resins.[12] Umber is known for its stability.[5]: 149 

Pigment samples
  • Limonite, or hydrated iron oxide, is the basic ingredient of the earth pigments ochre, sienna and umber.
    Limonite, or hydrated iron oxide, is the basic ingredient of the earth pigments ochre, sienna and umber.
  • The presence of a large amount of manganese makes umber earth colors darker than ochre or sienna.
    The presence of a large amount of manganese makes umber earth colors darker than ochre or sienna.
  • The pigment known as raw umber or natural umber came originally from Umbria, in Italy.
    The pigment known as raw umber or natural umber came originally from Umbria, in Italy.
  • Another sample of natural umber pigment.
    Another sample of natural umber pigment.

Notable occurrences

[edit]
Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, Early 16th century. A Laboratory analysis has revealed the presence of umber.[14]

Umber became widely used throughout the Renaissance period for oil paintings.[15] In the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci used umber for the brown tones throughout his subject’s hair and clothing.[14] Da Vinci also extensively used umber in his painting the Last Supper to create shadows and outlines of the figures.[16] Throughout the Baroque period, many renowned painters used umber.[citation needed]

Use in art
  • The Italian baroque painter Caravaggio used umber to create the darkness in his chiaroscuro ("light-dark") style of painting.
    The Italian baroque painter Caravaggio used umber to create the darkness in his chiaroscuro ("light-dark") style of painting.
  • The milkmaid, by Johannes Vermeer (1650). Vermeer used umber for the shadows on the whitewashed walls, since they were warmer than those made with black.
    The milkmaid, by Johannes Vermeer (1650). Vermeer used umber for the shadows on the whitewashed walls, since they were warmer than those made with black.
  • Self portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn (1659). Rembrandt used umbers to create his rich and complex browns, as a ground, and to speed the drying of his paintings.
    Self portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn (1659). Rembrandt used umbers to create his rich and complex browns, as a ground, and to speed the drying of his paintings.

Varieties

[edit]

Raw umber

[edit]
Raw Umber
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet#826644
sRGBB (r, g, b)(130, 102, 68)
HSV (h, s, v)(33°, 48%, 51%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(45, 33, 52°)
SourceISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptorModerate yellowish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This is the color raw umber.

Burnt umber

[edit]
Burnt umber
 
About these coordinates     Color coordinates
Hex triplet#8A3324
sRGBB (r, g, b)(138, 51, 36)
HSV (h, s, v)(9°, 74%, 54%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(34, 69, 17°)
SourceXona.com Color List
ISCC–NBS descriptorStrong reddish brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Burnt umber is made by heating raw umber, which dehydrates the iron oxides and changes them partially to the more reddish hematite. It is used for both oil and water color paint.[17]

The first recorded use of burnt umber as a color name in English was in 1650.[18]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Umber / #635147 hex color". ColorHexa. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  2. ^ a b Lesso, Rosie (2020-05-12). "The Mysterious Shadows of Umber – the thread". Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  3. ^ a b c d Helwig, Kate (2007). "Iron Oxides". Artists' pigments : a handbook of their history and characteristics. Vol. 4. Washington: National Gallery of Art. pp. 39–109. OCLC 12804059.
  4. ^ a b c d Eastaugh, Nicholas; Walsh, Valentine; Chaplin, Tracey; Siddall, Ruth (2007-03-30). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments. doi:10.4324/9780080473765. ISBN 9781136373862.
  5. ^ a b c Harley, R. D. (Rosamond Drusilla) (2001). Artists' pigments c.1600–1835 : a study in English documentary sources. Internet Archive. London : Archetype Publications. ISBN 978-1-873132-91-3.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Clair, Kassia St (2017-10-24). The Secret Lives of Color. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-5247-0494-0.
  7. ^ "Pigments through the Ages – Overview – Umber". www.webexhibits.org. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  8. ^ a b Gettens, Rutherford J. (1966). Painting materials : a short encyclopaedia. George L. Stout. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-21597-0. OCLC 518445.
  9. ^ "Medieval manuscripts blog: Science". blogs.bl.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  10. ^ "Underpainting advice". John Pototschnik Fine Art. 2020-02-02. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  11. ^ Lesley Brown, ed. (2002). Shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860575-7. OCLC 50017616.
  12. ^ a b c "Raw Umber".
  13. ^ "Umber – CAMEO". cameo.mfa.org. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  14. ^ a b Foundation, Mona Lisa (2012-09-08). "Analysis of the Materials used in the 'Earlier Mona Lisa'". The Mona Lisa Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  15. ^ O'Hanlon, George (March 12, 2023). "Umber: The Historical And Versatile Earth Pigment - Its Uses, Properties, And Sustainability". www.naturalpigments.com. Archived from the original on April 14, 2024. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  16. ^ "What is actually depicted on The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci?". Arthive. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  17. ^ St. Clair, Kassia (2016). The Secret Lives of Colour. London: John Murray. pp. 250–252. ISBN 9781473630819. OCLC 936144129.
  18. ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 191; Color Sample of Burnt Umber: Page 53 Plate 15 Color Sample A12
[edit]
  • "Raw Umber". Essential Vermeer. — Discussion of umber and its use by Vermeer and other painters.
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