Paris Green Pigment

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Description

Paris Green is a vivid emerald-green pigment composed of copper acetoarsenite. It produces an intense, bright cool 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 famously, and immensely toxic, containing acetoarsenite compounds, and its instability in damp or sulfurous conditions caused discoloration and the release of toxic 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 “toxic pigment.” Its use in wallpaper led to severse poisoning in homes, as mold and damp conditions released arsenical vapors. Like Scheele’s Green, it was implicated in widespread poisoning, and it quickly 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 due to its high toxicity. It is also used still to this day in fireworks and pyrotechnics to get a brilliant, pure blue unmatched until very recently with some still prefering Paris Green for its color. By the early 20th century, it was largely abandoned in painting, replaced by safer pigments such as viridian and chromium oxide green.

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

Health and Safety

• For art use only. Not for cosmetic, food or children's use.
• Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not eat, drink or smoke while working.
• Avoid creating or breathing dust. Work in a ventilated area and wear a NIOSH approved dust respirator (P100 or better) when handling dry pigment.
• Wear gloves and eye protection. Wash hands and work surfaces after use, and never rinse pigment into drains.
• Do not spray apply, sand or burn.
• If swallowed or if you feel unwell, contact a poison control center (U.S. 1-800-222-1222) or a doctor.
• Safety Data Sheet available on request.

Caution: Contains arsenic. Fatal if swallowed. Toxic if inhaled. Inorganic arsenic compounds cause cancer. Wear gloves, avoid all dust, and never use near food, drink or eating surfaces. Not for use by children or by anyone pregnant. Very toxic to aquatic life; never rinse into drains. Wear a P100 respirator (full face, or half face with goggles) when handling the dry pigment; N95 and P95 masks are not sufficient.

WARNING: This product can expose you to arsenic, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.