Walters Art Museum Highlights Toxic Pigments' Dark History
Published on 7.13.25
The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is hosting an exhibit on four toxic pigments used for centuries to illustrate and bind books, including mercury, arsenic, lead, and orpiment. These metals and minerals produced vibrant colors such as a brilliant green that could outshine emeralds and a yellow so bright it could pass for gold. The lead-based "lead white" pigment remained in use for centuries despite its dangers, with some artists like Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt favoring the toxic "Paris green" introduced in 1814.