Red chalk

Red chalk on laid paper
MFA# 63.2744

Description

Red chalk drawing
MFA# 91.161

A natural red clay containing iron ocher. Red chalk, or sanguine, was used for wall paintings by ancient Egyptians and Romans. In the 16th century, it gained popularity for use in drawing, particularly in combination with black chalk. The color of red chalk can range from a dark reddish brown to blood red. Since the red chalk disperses in water it was often used for counterproofs (Ellis 1998).

Synonyms and Related Terms

sanguine (Fr.); ruddle

Additional Images

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  Red chalk

Resources and Citations

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

• A Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York City, 1998

• The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Chalk"

• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000