Emerald Green 

Editor: Here we have Emerald Green, produced by Fezandie & Sperrle. It's a striking pigment sample, both as a dry powder and mixed with linseed oil. What can you tell me about the historical context of this color? Curator: Emerald Green, despite its beauty, contains arsenic. Its popularity highlights a fascinating, albeit unsettling, intersection of aesthetics and industrial production. Consider the Victorian era, where this color was widely used in everything from clothing to wallpaper, influencing artistic styles but also endangering public health. Editor: That’s shocking! Knowing it's poisonous certainly changes my perspective. So, the allure of the color outweighed the risk? Curator: Precisely. It demonstrates how societal values and limited scientific understanding can shape the reception and use of materials in art and design. What do you make of its presence in a museum today? Editor: I suppose it serves as a potent reminder of the complex relationship between art, industry, and societal well-being. Thank you. Curator: Indeed, a vital lesson.