Let’s take a look at colour manufacturers in Germany in the 19th century

The history of colour companies in the 19th century is linked to industrialisation, which began a little later in Germany than in Great Britain. Between 16th and 18th century artists could purchase pigments and other materials from pharmacies, which are documented in price lists. You can read relevant research results online (https://taxenprojekt.de/). Around 1800, production shifted increasingly to small mills and manufactures. The use of machines led to industrial production and larger central factories emerged around 1850. Unfortunately, a complete overview of pigment, dye and paint factories in Germany is missing. Researchers agree that this sector has grown significantly during this time. Also, that it is difficult to distinguish between manufacturer and merchant.

Annik Pietsch lists 130 manufacturers in Berlin between 1783 and 1851 (124 colour manufacturer/merchants, four brushes manufacturers, three professional primers) in an alphabetical table with sources and mentioned products in the appendix. Kristina M?sl assigns 29 companies to the work of Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840), many of them in Dresden. Although pharmacies played a minor role, artists continued to purchase products there until at least the beginning of the 20th century. One reason was the creation of products according to artist’s individual specifications or wishes.

In the late 19th century, many new products were introduced and companies began selling painting systems, e.g. consisting of pre-primed supports, vehicles, paints and varnishes. This means that artists could create their artwork from start to finish using coordinated products from one company. The strategy seems fairly modern. Focusing on industrially produced tempera paints around 1900 a list of about 30 companies, mostly in Germany, and their products was published in 2016.

Eva Eis arrives at the conclusion that the number of pigment and dye companies tripled between 1904 and 1931 to 395 manufacturers, and refers to the publications by Gustav Schultz, who listed established dye products and their manufacturer from 1888 onward. For all enthusiasts: her book is beautifully illustrated with images of tools and machines.

Since this number of companies represents only the tip of the iceberg, further research is required.?

Literature:

Karoline Beltinger and Jilleen Nadolny (Eds.): Painting in Tempera, c. 1900, 2016.

Eva Eis: Die “Farben Recepte” der Firma Heinrich Wiesel. Transkription der Rezeptsammlung eines Farbenfabrikanten aus dem ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert, 2020.

Kristina M?sl: M?nch am Meer und Abtei im Eichwald. Forschungen zur Maltechnik Caspar David Friedrichs, 2020.

Annik Pietsch: Material, Technik, ?sthetik und Wissenschaft der Farbe 1750–1850, 2014.

#pigments #artconservation #arttechnology

Photos: paint/pigment mill ?@ Heimatverein Ratzenried, CCBY-NC-SA, museum-digital:baden-württemberg; orpigment rock ? Deutsches Museum, Christian Tylla