Set d'aquarelles Kremer Illumination

watercolor box with 14 full pans

102078 Azurite, Sky-Blue light
407208 Burnt Umber, dark brown
103458 Malachite
408108 Bohemian Green Earth, genuine
105608 Lapis Lazuli from Chile
420008 Vermilion
114108 Eggshell White
421008 Carmine Naccarat
115728 Burgundy Yellow Ochre, fine
438808 Intensive Yellow
115748 Burgundy Red Ochre, fine
471008 Bone Black
3721418 Madder Lake, Dark Red
501108 IRIODIN® 307 STAR GOLD, Colibri, fine

The Illuminated Palette: A History in Pigment

Long before the invention of the printing press, books were objects of immense physical and spiritual gravity. Medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts were not merely texts; they were acts of devotion, painstakingly crafted on animal skin parchment (vellum) and adorned with precious metals and brilliant colors. The monks and artisans who worked in the scriptoriums relied on a specific, carefully guarded palette of materials to bring these pages to life.

The colors of illumination were drawn from the very earth and transformed through rudimentary chemistry. Blues were particularly prized. Azurite, a copper carbonate, provided the brilliant skies, while the staggeringly expensive Lapis Lazuli (ultramarine) was often reserved only for the robes of the Virgin Mary or the most important figures. Greens were sourced from Malachite or the subtle, muted tones of Green Earth.

Reds and yellows carried their own distinct weights and histories. Vermilion, a bright, opaque red derived from toxic cinnabar, was essential for the intricate capital letters (rubrics) that began important passages. Rich, deep crimsons were achieved using organic lakes like Madder or the incredibly costly Carmine, extracted from crushed scale insects. Earth pigments—the Ochres and Umbers—grounded the illustrations, providing flesh tones and natural landscapes.

Whites, essential for highlighting and mixing, were often derived from lead, though safer, natural alternatives like Eggshell White were also employed. And, of course, the defining feature of an "illuminated" manuscript was the light itself. The text was physically illuminated by the application of gold leaf or powdered gold (represented in this set by the modern, lightfast Iriodin® Star Gold), designed to catch the candlelight of a dark cathedral or abbey and flash with divine brilliance.

This watercolor set is a direct reflection of that historical scriptorium palette. It is a curated collection of the exact mineral, earth, and organic hues that monks and master illuminators used to create some of the most beautiful and enduring books in human history.