Verdigris

Verdigris is the common name for a green pigment obtained through the application of acetic acid to copper plates or the natural patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over time. It is usually a basic copper carbonate, but near the sea will be a basic copper chloride. If acetic acid is present at the time of weathering, it may consist of copper(II) acetate.

History

The name verdigris comes from the Middle English vertegrez, from the Old French verte grez, an alteration of vert-de-Grèce ("green of Greece"). The modern French spelling of this word is vert-de-gris ("green of grey").

Uses

Verdigris was the most vibrant green pigment available until the 19th century and was frequently used in the painting of manuscripts and the making of miniatures. Verdigris is lightfast in oil paint, as numerous examples of 15th-century paintings indicate. However, its use was generally avoided in the 16th century and onwards by professional painters, especially in the Netherlands and Great Britain, due to its corrosive effect on copper and lead-based pigments.

Health effects

Ingesting verdigris can lead to copper poisoning, which can cause a range of health problems from stomach pain to brain damage. It is also a skin irritant.

See also

• Patina
• Copper(II) acetate
• Copper poisoning

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