Is rather more transparent than ordinary vermilion, with a clear but not bright orange hue. It also washes better, and is for landscape purposes more generally useful. Resembling red-lead in appearance, it is not subject to its changes, being perfectly durable in oil and water. A most powerful tinger of white, its tints are warmer than red-lead's, affording delicate carnations similar to those of Titian and Rubens. This pigment—or, preferably, the succeeding variety—may be employed with excellent results in scumbling of flesh, for which Sir Joshua Reynolds improperly used the so-called red orpiment. It dries in simple linseed oil, but works with best effect in water with a considerable portion of gum. In speaking of sunset and sunrise clouds, Mr. Penley observes—"Orange vermilion if used so thin as to get rid of its opacity, is a fine tone; but it must be remembered that transparency is the character of the sunset or sunrise, and hence arises the difficulty of employing such opaque colour effectively." Before the introduction of cadmium red, this and the following pigment were the best and only unexceptionable orange-reds known. It is probable, however, that the new colour will in a great measure supersede these latter in cases where transparency is sought. Orange vermilion is often a mixture, in which case the yellow employed is apt to separate from the red and float on its surface.
94. FIELD'S ORANGE VERMILION
Is a superior preparation to the preceding, being brighter, purer, and clearer. It possesses also, less opacity, and is not a compound. Both pigments are rather reds with an orange cast than strictly orange colours, and are therefore inserted in this chapter.
95 Antimony Red,
Or Mineral Kermes. We have obtained this colour ranging from light orange to deep carmine, of different degrees of brightness and stability. Some of the tints stood well in a book, but faded on exposure to light and air; and some even vanished when secluded from those agents. It has more than once been recommended as a pigment, but our experience is against its adoption by artists. The colour is not affected by sulphuretted hydrogen.
96. Chica Red
Is extracted from the leaves of a tree growing in central and southern America. A sample examined by Mr. O'Neill was in small irregular lumps, of a bright scarlet colour, adherent to the tongue like indigo, and taking a metallic polish of a greenish reflection, when rubbed against a hard smooth body, as the finger nail. So far it seems to be only employed by the Indians as a paint for their bodies, mixed up with fatty matters. It has doubtless been used in painting: for in the old churches of those parts of America there is a good deal of red colour, which remains brilliant and sound after a couple of centuries; and from the appearance of it, and such accounts as can be collected, it is probably this chica. A portion was forwarded to an eminent artist in England, to ascertain whether it would be of any value as a pigment in the fine arts. His report is stated to have been unfavourable; and the chica, contained in a gourd labelled "Chica d'Andiguez," was then tested as to its capabilities for dyeing and printing. Fine and durable reds were found to be produced by it upon woollen, equal to those of cochineal. To mordanted calico the shades imparted were dull and heavy, but very solid. Chica is described as a very strong colouring matter, a small quantity dyeing a large amount of cloth, and as more nearly resembling lac lake than anything else.
No information existing as to its price, or the quantity that could be obtained if it were wanted, chica remains in the state of an unapplied product. If it really possess, however, the durability assigned to it, this red is worth attention. With regard to the artist's disapproval, the chica sent him may not have been properly or sufficiently prepared to adapt it for a pigment.