Hansa

Description

Originally a Hoechst AG trademark for a line of bright, transparent yellow, orange and red synthetic organic pigments. Now, Hansa is a commonly used designation for this class of insoluble azo pigments. Hansa colors were first made in Germany in 1900 and were first used in artists paints about 1910. When used full strength, Hansa colors have good lightfastness, but they tend to fade when mixed with white pigments. They also have good weather resistance but are susceptible to bleeding in some media. Hansa colors are used in enamels, paints, plastics, rubber and coated paper.

Other Properties

Insoluble in water, acids or alkalis.

Hazards and Safety

Most are suspected carcinogens.

Authority

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

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983 Comment: available in artist colors since the 1930s

• Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986 Comment: Developed in Germany in 1900; used in artist colors since about 1910

• B. Berrie, S.Q. Lomax, 'Azo Pigments: Their History, Synthesis, Properties and Use in Artists' Materials', Studies in the History of Art , National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, No. 57, 1997 Comment: First sold in 1909; used in artist colors in 1915