Chronology of Common Pigments According to Initial Use

Because the composition and availability of artists’ pigments are well documented, the identification of certain pigments with known dates of introduction and geographical distribution can help confirm or dispute a painting’s identification. The following table gives art historians a general idea of the most common pigments found during certain historical spans. Unless noted, pigments have no terminal date of use, although artists tended to favor more modern substitutes that were cheaper or more …