Town’s Bugs in Old World Masters [] Joseph Toone
News Category: News and General Discussion
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Published September 12, 2021
In the past painters got their pigments from nature. For example, raising a family in the Low Country, indigo was the in demand blue dye raised on plantations. Here in the San Miguel de Allende it was red cochineal, a cacti-dwelling bug that expanded scarlet’s appeal. This particular shade of red reached Europe fascinating painters to become the most imported Mexican product behind silver. How and why did a crushed up bug alter art history?
Red cochineal is a pre-Hispanic color from a tiny bug, Dactylopius coccus, used for both dying textiles and coloring codices since 2000 BC. A precious product, it was part of the tributes the Aztecs demanded from other groups.
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