Gallstone

Description

An obsolete organic colorant thought to have come from gallstone of an ox. Gallstones were ground into a golden yellow powder then mixed with gum arabic for a transparent yellow paint. By the end of the 18th century, a substitute made from quercitron yellow was sold under the name of gallstone. Both colorants were fugitive and rarely used in paints.

Synonyms and Related Terms

gall stone;

Authority

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• R.D. Harley, Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835, Butterworth Scientific, London, 1982