Madder is a lake pigment, a plant dye which is fixed onto an inert transparent base. This method was first invented by the Egyptians. The permanence of Madders however is variable, depending on the recipe and it was not until 1806 that George Field, the pre-eminent colour chemist, formulated Rose Madder Genuine with greater permanence. These recipes used exclusively then and today by Winsor & Newton are the original Field recipes which can still not be bettered, even by our own chemists! In 1862, having visited the Winsor & Newton stand at the Crystal Palace exhibition in London, organised by Prince Albert, amongst others, Dickens exclaimed, ‘Has anyone ever seen anything like Winsor & Newton’s cups of Carnations and Crimsons loud and fierce as a war-cry, and Pinks tender and loving as a young girl?’ The crystal cups used to display our colours then, display them still in our Artists’ Colourman’s Museum at our factory in London, where we meet many hundreds of visiting artists every year.
Artists’ Water Colour Rose Madder Genuine contains Essence of Bergamot, lending it an odour similar to Earl Grey tea. When the colour was developed in 1806 by colourman George Field, it was probably there to mask the smell of a less wholesome component. That component has changed, but not the rest of the formula, including the use of Essence of Bergamot as a link to history.

Lake of Natural Madder, Nat. R9
B – Moderately Durable (‘A’ rated in full strength, may fade in thin washes)
Series 4
Transparent
Granulating