Paris Green

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Description

Paris Green is a vivid emerald-green pigment composed of copper acetoarsenite. It produces an intense, bright green with a slightly bluish cast, far more brilliant than natural malachite or verdigris. Opaque and moderately strong in tinting power, Paris Green was highly valued in the 19th century for both its brilliance and versatility.

However, it is extremely toxic, containing arsenic compounds, and its instability in damp or sulfurous conditions caused discoloration and the release of poisonous dust.

History

Paris Green was first synthesized in 1814 as an improvement on Scheele’s Green, which was less stable. It quickly gained popularity across Europe for wallpapers, textiles, and decorative painting, where its bright emerald color was unmatched.

By the mid-19th century, Paris Green became notorious as a “poison pigment.” Its use in wallpaper led to arsenic poisoning in homes, as mold and damp conditions released arsenical vapors. Like Scheele’s Green, it was implicated in widespread illness, and its dangers became a public health scandal in Victorian Europe.

Despite this, Paris Green was also used as an artist’s pigment and appears in works from the late 19th century. It was later adopted as an insecticide and rat poison due to its toxicity. By the early 20th century, it was largely abandoned in painting, replaced by safer pigments such as viridian and chromium oxide green.

Health and Safety

Warnings:

CANCER AGENT.

INHALATION MAY PRODUCE CANCER.

EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE HARM TO THE PREGNANT PEOPLE OR DEVELOPING FETUS.

INHALATION MAY CAUSE LUNG DAMAGE.

CONTAINS ARSENIC.

Precautions:

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume.

Not for cosmetic or food usage.

Do not spray apply.

For further health information contact a poison control center.

Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.

Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments.

Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments.

Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment.

Wash hands immediately after use or handling.

If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.

This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Copper Acetoarsenite (C₄H₆As₆Cu₄O₁₆)

Suitable Mediums: Historically used in Oil, Watercolor, Fresco

Lightfastness: Good in dry conditions (unstable in damp or polluted environments)

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Emerald Green, Schweinfurt Green, Vienna Green, Mitis Green

Color Index Code: PG21