Cadmium red is one of the most iconic pigments in both a limited palette and modern painting. Its intensity, opacity, and stability have made it indispensable for many artists, both modern and contemporary. From vibrant, warm skin tones to fiery flowers and intense oranges, this pigment brings compositions to life.
Yet, before its invention in the early 20th century, painters relied on a wide variety of red pigments, each with unique properties. This article, part of the series on the limited palette, explores its origin, chemical properties, and role in art history. I will also highlight some key examples of its use by artists such as Bacon, Matisse, and
1. Origin and Discovery
Cadmium was discovered in 1817 by the German chemist Friedrich Stromeyer. However, cadmium red was not developed until the early 20th century, as a more stable and less toxic alternative to traditional reds like cinnabar (mercury sulfide) and madder lake.
Introduced to painters in the 1910s-1920s, it quickly became a favorite among modern artists due to its brilliance and lightfastness. It has remained a cornerstone of the limited palette, though other stable alternatives exist, as we will see.
2. Red Pigments Throughout Art History
Before the arrival of cadmium red, artists had access to a broad range of natural and synthetic reds, each with advantages and disadvantages:
• Red Ochre (Hematite): Used since prehistoric times, this iron oxide-based pigment is durable but relatively dull. It was common in cave paintings and later in frescoes.
• Cinnabar / Vermilion: A vivid red mercury sulfide, highly prized in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Opaque and bright, it was toxic and prone to darkening over time.
• Example: Diego Velázquez – Portrait of Pope Innocent X
• In this masterpiece, Velázquez used vermilion for the Pope’s cape, creating light effects with lead white, ochre, and minium. For the shadows, he applied bone black, and for burgundy hues, he used madder lake and burnt umber.
• Madder and Cochineal Lakes: Derived from organic sources (plants or insects), these were valued for their rich, deep reds but suffered from poor lightfastness.
• Minium (Red Lead): A bright orange-red heavily used in medieval illuminations. It was highly covering but chemically unstable, turning brown over time.
• Venetian Red & Indian Red: Variants of iron oxides, these warm, natural reds were favored by Renaissance and Baroque painters. They remain available today in many paint brands and fit well within earth-tone palettes.
• Mars Red: Developed in the 19th century, this synthetic iron oxide pigment provided a more stable alternative to natural reds.
With industrialization and advances in chemistry, cadmium red replaced many of these pigments. It combined vermilion’s intensity with the stability and durability of iron oxide reds—essentially the holy grail of reds!
3. Physicochemical Properties
Composition and Production
Cadmium red is a cadmium sulfoselenide (CdS·CdSe), with shades ranging from orange-red to deep red, depending on the selenium content.
It is produced through chemical precipitation, then calcined at high temperatures to stabilize its structure. This process ensures:
• Exceptional opacity
• Resistance to UV light and solvents
• Unmatched chromatic
Color Strength and Stability
• High covering power: Ideal for impasto work in oil and acrylic painting.
• Fade-resistant: Unlike organic reds, it does not discolor over time.
• Versatile mixing properties: It produces brilliant oranges with cadmium yellow and deep purples with ultramarine. Sometimes, it approaches black when mixed with complementary colors.
If you’ve studied color theory in a workshop, you may have noticed its depth and value range.
4. Use in Painting
Cadmium red immediately captures attention. Its intensity and richness make it perfect for expressing warmth and power.
Henri Matisse – La Blouse Roumaine (1940)
Matisse frequently used cadmium red in his vibrant paintings. In La Blouse Roumaine, the brilliant red background highlights the delicate embroidery patterns on the blouse, contrasting beautifully with white and blue.
Mark Rothko – Red on Maroon (1959)
Rothko extensively explored cadmium red in his minimalist compositions. In Red on Maroon, subtle tonal variations demonstrate how this pigment creates intense, meditative atmospheres.
• His technique involved layering thin coats to create optical depth.
• The opacity of cadmium red made achieving transparency a challenge in his work.
Francis Bacon – Study after Velázquez (1953)
Bacon was fascinated by cadmium red, using it for dramatic backgrounds. In his series inspired by Velázquez’s Portrait of Innocent X, cadmium red adds a raw, oppressive intensity.
• Bacon rarely lightened the pigment, keeping its high saturation to convey a visceral, almost bloody
Georgia O’Keeffe – Red Canna (1924)
O’Keeffe used cadmium red’s power to create sensual, vibrant flowers. Red Canna exemplifies how this red enhances organic forms.
• She highlighted red petals using yellow.
• Some petals were brightened with zinc white to maintain chromatic
Lucian Freud – Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (1995)
Freud often used cadmium red to capture the warmth of human skin tones. In his portraits, it adds volume and depth to flesh.
• Close-up views reveal the strongest warmth in areas with higher cadmium red concentrations.
• His muted palette involved heavy mixing, desaturating colors while maintaining a natural vibrancy.
5. Toxicity and Modern Alternatives
While cadmium red in paint form is less dangerous, it still contains cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. Consequently, some regulations limit its use, particularly in certain acrylics and industrial paints.
Chromatic Alternatives
• Pyrrole Red (PR 254, PR 255): A strong red, often used as a cadmium substitute.
• Naphthol Red (PR 112, PR 170): Less opaque but similar in hue.
• Quinacridone Red (PR 209): More transparent, yet still a vibrant alternative.
Conclusion
Cadmium red remains a cornerstone of modern and contemporary painting. It evolved from a long history of red pigments, establishing itself as a stable, brilliant alternative to earlier, more fragile, or toxic materials.
From Matisse’s glowing compositions to Rothko’s color fields and Freud’s fleshy portraits, cadmium red continues to captivate artists with its unparalleled intensity.
It is also a fantastic choice for textured abstract paintings or Pop Art-inspired flat colors. Its mixing potential allows for infinite shading and highlighting possibilities, making it an artist’s favorite for both subtle and bold applications.
If you have questions about this pigment, its uses, or color mixing, feel free to ask in a workshop or by email.
Get your brushes ready!
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