“A color is as strong as the impression it creates.” Ivan Le Lorraine Albright (from Susie Gadea)
Organic mineral compounded Manganese Violet is short on talk from artists. Few have much to say about this rich reddish purple and direct compliment of Chromium Green. Manganese Violet has been around since 1868 where it was first discovered in Germany and called Nuremberg Violet. Winsor Newton introduced it to England in 1890. This purple hue is non-toxic and shows up in a number of unusual places.
Vasari Colors rates Manganese Violet as “Gemlike in mass tone” and “makes pinkish violet tints when mixed with white.” Gamblin’s website says Manganese Violet is, “ a moderate purple that is redder and duller than Heliotrope, bluer lighter and stronger than average amethyst, bluer and stronger than Cobalt Violet, and bluer and deeper than average lilac.” Holliday Pigments gives Manganese Violet a good semi-transparent rating. According to Cameo.mfa.org, Manganese Violet, “has poor hiding power and has not been widely used.”
If you don’t wish to make use of your Manganese Violet pigment in paintings, it can always be used to make a nice non-toxic eye shadow. No eye shadow? Well, the pigment is also good for tinting hand made soap. Gardeners will find Manganese Violet is a vital mineral in the diet of African Violets but it’s not for the color of the blooms. Manganese Violet is essential for the healthy green color of the leaves of African Violets. Maybe African Violet leaves are Chromium Green.
Here is a demonstration of a Manganese Violet wash:
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