Paints from the past

The color that killed Napoleon Bonaparte and 9 other risky pigments

We often assume that the past was a dull, washed-out world. But history has always been bursting with vibrant color, even if humanity had to take extreme measures to capture it. From crushing millions of tiny bugs to robbing ancient tombs and playing with dangerous substances, artists and chemists spent centuries inventing brilliant hues. Here are 10 pigments with surprising, strange, and sometimes terrifying origins.

The word carmine refers to a family of deep reds. Its origins trace back to tiny scale insects, Dactylopius coccus (cochineal scale), that feed on cactus berries. When European explorers reached Mexico in the 16th century, they discovered native populations producing reds far more vibrant than anything in Europe.

Harvesters collected the female insects, killed them, and dried them in the sun to extract carminic acid. It took roughly 70,000 insects to make a single pound of pigment. Today, synthetics have replaced it in textiles, but carmine is still used under names like "natural red 4" to color candles and cosmetics.

Dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, Egyptian blue is the first known synthetic pigment in human history. Ancient craftsmen created this vibrant azure by heating quartz, copper, alkali, and lime to extreme temperatures.

This recipe was lost for over a thousand years before it was reverse-engineered in the 19th century. Interestingly, under modern infrared light, Egyptian blue glows with intense fluorescence, helping researchers scan archeological sites.

In ancient China, color was regulated by law to determine social status. Starting with the Zhou dynasty, yellow became linked with the throne.

By the Tang dynasty, laws strictly forbade anyone outside the imperial family from wearing garments dyed in reddish-yellow shades. Also, creating this prestigious color wasn’t easy. It was an arduous process that required harvesting massive amounts of Chinese foxglove tubers, grinding them into a paste, and finally staining fabrics.

Many great breakthroughs are born from accidents, and mauveine is no exception. In 1856, an 18-year-old English chemist named William Henry Perkin was trying to synthesize a cure for malaria using aniline.

His experiment failed, leaving behind a sticky black residue with bright purple remnants. Perkin recognized the beauty of his accident and launched the world’s first mass-produced synthetic dye, sparking a global industry that changed fashion and art forever.

Over the years, people have made plenty of weird choices in the name of beauty, but mummy brown is probably the creepiest. Popular among 18th- and 19th-century European painters for its rich, translucent shading, this yellowish-brown pigment was literally made by looting Egyptian tombs and grinding down mummified human remains and animals.

When artists discovered what their paint was actually made of, they were horrified. The practice finally ended in 1964 when the supply of preserved bodies ran dry.

Alchemists and artists have always been fascinated by hues that resemble gold, but orpiment came with lethal consequences. This naturally occurring mineral features a fiery orange-yellow brilliance, yet it contains toxic arsenic sulfide.

Alchemists working in hot, unventilated labs would hang over furnaces heating orpiment to manufacture this golden pigment, poisoning themselves in the process. Despite the danger, master painters relied on its vibrant punch until safer cadmium and chromium alternatives arrived.

When archaeologists uncovered the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, they found stunning villas adorned with deep red frescoes. For generations, experts believed the color came from local iron-rich clay.

However, modern scientific analysis suggests that those red walls may have originally been yellow ochre. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, the intense volcanic heat cooked the mineral, transforming the yellow walls into the unique red we see today.

Prussian blue was born in 1706 through a lab mishap. Johann Jacob Diesbach, a German paint maker, was trying to create red carmine, but a contaminated batch of ingredients caused an unexpected chemical reaction, producing a deep blue instead.

This accidental pigment later replaced expensive ultramarine for painters, and it also became the basis for the chemical process behind architectural blueprints.

Fun fact: Purified forms of Prussian blue are still used today as a medical antidote for heavy metal poisoning.

Invented in 1775 by Swedish-German chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, this brilliant green is obtained by mixing copper, oxygen, and arsenic. Scheele’s green became a Victorian obsession, used in everything from children’s toys and dresses to patterned wallpaper.

Tragically, factory workers suffered horrific chronic arsenic poisoning making it. Even worse, when wallpaper made with Scheele’s green got damp, mould could release poisonous arsenic gas into the air (a phenomenon believed to have contributed to Napoleon Bonaparte’s mysterious illness and death in exile).

In the ancient world, purple was the ultimate symbol of wealth and power, often costing its weight in silver. Tyrian purple was especially prized because it resisted fading, but producing it required hard labor and cost marine life.

Derived from the mucus secretions of Murex sea snails, it took roughly 10,000 crushed snails to produce just a single gram of dye. The process left a foul stench along the Mediterranean coasts, so it was a color exclusively worn by emperors until modern technology finally figured out how to synthesize the exact same molecule using engineered bacteria.

The 12 longest-living animals on Earth (and how they cheat time)

Nature doesn’t just create beauty, it crafts survival miracles. While most animals have short lives, a rare few have mastered the art of staying alive for centuries, even millennia. These aren’t just long-lived creatures; they’re nature’s ultimate time travelers. From the frozen depths of the oceans to the darkest corners underground, they’ve developed bizarre, brilliant strategies to cheat death. Get ready to meet 12 animals whose lifespans will absolutely blow your mind.

Record age: up to 15,000 years

This unassuming sea sponge thrives in the freezing waters of Antarctica, where temperatures hover around 28.6 °F—so cold that biological processes hit the brakes. In such icy conditions, metabolism slows to a crawl, allowing these sponges to live for thousands of years.

Some have reached impressive sizes of over 3 feet tall and have been around since mammoths were still thundering across the tundra. They don’t move, they don’t stress, and they barely change, just quietly existing while centuries pass them by. Their secret to extreme longevity? Glacial patience, deep-sea stillness, and a lifestyle that redefines "low-maintenance".

Age: technically… infinite

This tiny jellyfish, no bigger than a fingernail—less than 0.2 inches—is like the ocean’s very own Benjamin Button. What makes it truly extraordinary is its ability to rewind its life story, flipping back to a youthful, juvenile stage whenever it wants. While it’s not completely invincible (predators and other threats are still very real), if left undisturbed, it can keep hitting the reset button on aging indefinitely, making it one of the most fascinating "time-benders" in nature.

Record age: 507 years

In 2006, a special clam was discovered buried deep in the seabeds of the North Atlantic. Scientists were able to determine that it had been there since at least 1499—that’s centuries before the United States was even a thought! This ancient marvel, nicknamed "Ming", was able to perfect a slow-and-steady approach to life. Growing at a snail’s pace and barely budging, Ming’s sedentary lifestyle turned out to be a brilliant strategy for beating the clock. Who knew doing almost nothing could be the ultimate secret to longevity?

Record age: estimated 392 years

These sharks aren’t your average ocean cruisers—they can stretch over 20 feet long and weigh up to 2,200 pounds. But what’s really mindblowing is how slowly they move, like they’re in a permanent state of deep relaxation. Living in the icy Arctic waters, these giants don’t hit adulthood until they’re about 150 years old, and some can glide through the depths for nearly 400 years. Imagine that! These ancient swimmers were already around before America declared independence... and they are still out there, silently roaming the seas!

Record age: over 211 years

This whale is a true ocean giant, stretching up to 60 feet long and weighing a staggering 200,000 pounds. But what makes it stand out isn’t just its size but its age. Some of these majestic creatures carry harpoons from the 1800s still lodged in their skin, like walking history books. Just picture living so long that you’re literally carrying outdated technology embedded in your body—talk about being a time traveler of the seas!

Record age: 200 years

Spanning the chilly Pacific coastline from California all the way up to Alaska, this spiky little ball—about 7 inches across—is full of surprises. It munches on algae and calls the deep, dark ocean its home, thriving at depths of up to 300 feet. Don’t let its size fool you: this prickly creature is a true elder of the cold seas, quietly outliving many ocean neighbors while keeping a low profile. A tough, slow-living veteran wrapped in spikes!

Record age: 226 years

Meet Hanako, a legendary Japanese koi who swam through life for an astonishing 226 years. Scientists discovered how old she was by studying the rings on her scales, much like counting the growth rings of a tree. These colorful, ornamental fish aren’t just symbols of good fortune; they’re also secret long-lifers with the potential to celebrate over two centuries of birthdays, as long as they get the right care and a peaceful pond to call home.

Record age: 190 years

Jonathan is a male tortoise living on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. He was born back in 1832, and he’s still happily chomping lettuce and soaking up the sun today. Weighing in at more than 400 pounds and measuring around 3 feet long, Jonathan holds the title of the oldest known living land animal on the planet. If he could share tales, they’d span nearly two centuries of history. Imagine that!

Record age: 152 years

This ancient-looking fish, with its whisker-like barbels, looking like a tiny underwater submarine, prowls the lakes of North America. It can reach an impressive length of up to 7 feet and weigh around 200 pounds. These slow-living creatures don’t rush into adulthood—they start breeding only around age 20—and then take their time cruising through life at a leisurely pace. Believe it or not, one legendary catch in Wisconsin was estimated to be over 150 years old!

Record age: over 90 years

This chunky, night-loving parrot from New Zealand is a true oddball—it can’t fly, snores like a grumpy grandpa, and smells like fresh flowers. Despite its quirks, this bird boasts an impressively long lifespan. Sadly, it teeters on the edge of extinction. The oldest known kakapo, affectionately named Richard Henry, lived 90 years, earning him the title of the charmingly eccentric elder statesman of the avian world.

Record age: 37 years

This tiny, kooky rodent—barely 3 inches long and just over an ounce in weight—could’ve been cast straight from a sci-fi apocalypse flick. Dwelling in vast underground colonies across Africa, it’s practically invincible to cancer, pain, and the usual effects of aging. Scientists are fascinated by this little marvel, even if it’s not winning beauty contests anytime soon. Its superpowers make it a star in longevity research!

Record age: estimated 100+ years

Lobsters have a totally different rulebook than us when it comes to aging. They don’t really grow old; they just keep getting bigger and bigger. Some giant lobsters weigh over 40 pounds and stretch beyond 3 feet long. Their biggest threats? Not old age, but predators or the risky process of shedding their shells. In theory, they could live forever if left alone—but let’s be honest, not many get to enjoy a peaceful, lobster-sized retirement!