Is White a Color?

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Philadelphus IV Oil Ann Trusty

There are differing opinions among color purists whether white should be considered a color at all, since it represents the absence of hue or chroma, and cannot be made from the three primaries, as black theoretically can be. Whether you think of it as a color or not, it is usually an essential ingredient of any palette. Ironically, the history of white pigments is a dark and morbid one. Lead white was one of the earliest and most reliable whites discovered, and has been in use since 400 B.C. Unfortunately, its toxicity sickened and killed scores of people, and for that reason, it is no longer manufactured in the U.S. Lead white’s victims included not only the workers engaged in its manufacture and the artists who used it, but also the women who applied it as face cream and makeup.

However, there was no easy replacement for lead white and, despite its obvious toxic effects, it continued to be in use for centuries. It to…