Getty Museum Explores the Historical Evolution and Symbolism of Green Pigments in Art
The Getty Museum highlights the history of the color green through works in its collection, including Landscape with a Thunderstorm by Emilie Mediz-Pelikan from 1896 and A Draped Figure Holding a Book from around 1380. Curators Michelle Sullivan, Julian Brooks, Larisa Grollemond and Anne Woollett examine pigments such as malachite and verdigris used in ancient Egyptian, Roman, Chinese and Renaissance art. The feature traces green from its early absence in language to its symbolic roles in fertility and nature, citing examples like Portrait of a Man by Francesco Salviati and Mythological Scene by Dosso Dossi.
The Signal
Specialists note green's technical challenges, including lightfastness issues with copper-based pigments, and its perceptual centrality in human vision. The article connects these materials to broader cultural meanings in medieval manuscripts and Dutch landscapes held by the museum. It positions the Getty's holdings as evidence of evolving artistic techniques for depth and symbolism across centuries.
- Artists: Emilie Mediz-Pelikan, Francesco Salviati, Jan van Eyck, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Dosso Dossi, Simon Bening
- People: Olivia Kuzio, Michelle Sullivan, Julian Brooks, Larisa Grollemond, Anne Woollett
- Museums: Getty Museum
- Locations: Los Angeles
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