Vermilion (English) 1927

Curator: This captivating pigment, "Vermilion (English)," was manufactured by F. Weber & Company. It's basically a historical artifact of color! Editor: The boldness is immediate. The color really pops. It’s the color of revolution, of vitality… but also, considering the mercury content, of danger. Curator: Precisely! Vermilion has this incredible history—being both prized and perilous. The label’s stark typography also speaks to a very different era of art supply. Editor: Absolutely. It brings up questions about material access, industrial processes, and, of course, the artist's relationship with their tools. We are so detached from the means of creating art nowadays! Curator: It’s almost like a relic, isn't it? I can imagine some artist from back then, carefully mixing this color and dreaming of masterpieces. Editor: It makes me reflect on labor, risk, and how we value the art object over the often-unseen processes that make it possible. Curator: That's an angle I had not considered. Now I see this pigment with new eyes.