Glossary
Pigment
The pigment is the element in paint which provides its colour. Pigments can be made of a wide range of materials, including minerals, natural and synthetic dyestuffs, and other man-made compounds.Paint consists of pigment bound in a medium. The ratio of pigment to medium affects the malleability, colour and drying time of the paint.
Different pigments deteriorate over time in different ways and at different rates.
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
