Today we are going to talk about the variety of pigments and mixtures employed to obtain green hues from Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt to the mural paintings of @pompeii_sites, with a glimpse of the Macedonian tombs at Vergina and the Tomb of the Diver at @paestumparco. 
Several mixtures and green pigments have been detected in Ancient Egypt artefacts. Among the pigments, we can list malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2), chrysocolla ((Cu, Al)2H2SiO5(OH)4·nH2O), Egyptian Green (CaCuSi4O10) and green earth (hydrated iron potassium silicates).
On the other hand, green mixtures were made up of #EgyptianBlue, indigo, orpiment (As2S3) and yellow ochre (FeOOH).
Green hues can sometimes be tricky and lead to misconceptions, since they were not always intended and are due to the deterioration of other pigments, such as #EgyptianBlue. This is the case of the dress of Nephthys in this shroud (MET).
The most common green pigments until the New Kingdom were copper greens (either malachite or Egyptian Green), while the choice became broader in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. In this Osiris shroud, a green earth (probably celadonite) was used.
The main green earth deposits were located outside of Egypt, which suggests an extensive trade network during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Besides, green earths were typical of the Hellenistic painting technique and were incorporated afterwards in the Egyptian palette.
On the other hand, the scientific analysis of the wreath leaves of this shroud allowed the identification of tiny particles of a bright yellow pigment, pointing out to the use of a mixture of orpiment and indigo, known as vergaut.
Yellow and blue mixtures were already in use during the dynastic periods. However, their application became more frequent in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. Moreover, the mixture of indigo and yellow, recurrently employed in illuminated manuscripts, occurs only in the Roman period.
Leaving Egypt behind and focusing on the Macedonian tombs of Vergina, a copper green (malachite) was used again in the marble throne of Eurydice, in which gum Arabic was employed as binding media.
On the contrary, on the mural painting of Tomb II of Vergina a mixture of #EgyptianBlue and white calcite was applied in order to achieve a green hue.
Concerning the Tomb of the Diver and the Tomb of the Palmettes at @PaestumParco, green earths (either glauconite or celadonite) were employed as green pigments.
Our pigment journey continues in @pompeii_sites, where pigment pots were recovered during the excavation. The analysis of this pigment has revealed that it is mainly composed of malachite, although other mineral impurities are also present.
However, not only malachite has been found on the mural paintings of @pompeii_sites. In this example, whose original location was kindly shared by @pompei79, a green earth (probably celadonite) was detected in the garland.
Besides malachite, which Pliny erroneously called “chrysocolla”, and green earths or “creta viridis”, Roman artisans used other pigments derived from the acid corrosion of copper, such as verdigris.
Let’s imagine that you are able to see that the dress of this figure is green (it really is, trust me). It was originally located at the fauces of the House of Holconius Rufus (Regio VIII, 4, 4). The green hue was obtained thanks to a mixture of #EgyptianBlue and yellow ochre.
However, this was not the only green hue to be found in the scientific analysis of this panel at @MANNapoli. Phthalocyanine green, a synthetic pigment (first manufactured in the 20th century), was used during the restoration process of this painting.
The same ancient mixture of #EgyptianBlue and yellow ochre was identified in the leaves of this panel, detached from the summer triclinium of the House of Marcus Lucretius (Regio IX, 3, 5), today at @MANNApoli. Moreover, red cinnabar traces were detected in the darker hues.
I hope you have enjoyed our pigment tour concerning ancient green hues. In case you want to dive into other green artworks, don’t miss this collaborative #thread by @Oskar_kimikarte.
A fascinating read on Egyptian mummy portraits, which includes a section on green pigments:
On the green pigments employed at @pompeii_sites:
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Regarding the Book of Kells, in which vergaut was used: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…
On the panels of the House of Marcus Lucretius, conserved at @MANNApoli: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26767639/
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Regarding the Book of Kells, in which vergaut was used: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…
On the panels of the House of Marcus Lucretius, conserved at @MANNApoli: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26767639/
