Q: What do the terms madder and lake mean when applied to paint colors?
A: "Madder" pigments were originally derived from the
Rubiaceae family of plants, specifically the Rubia species, which
include the herbs known as wild madder and Indian madder. Dyes derived
from the roots of Rubiaceae species vary in hue from yellow to red and
even to purple or brown. Rose madder, the most well-known of the madder
pigments, is considered a fugitive color. The word
<I>madder</I> is derived from an early Old English word
meaning "plant used for making dyes," according to the Online Etymology
Dictionary.
"Lake" pigments are colors that have been created by adding dyes to
very mildly tinting binders, such as metallic salts. Because the dyes
have historically been made from animal or vegetable sources that are
not very lightfast, some lake colors are considered fugitive. These
pigments derive their name from the Hindi word <I>lake,</I>
which is derived from the Sanskrit word <I>laksha,</I>
meaning "one hundred thousand," referring to the resinous substance
oozing from trees (used as a binder) that attracted insects in large
numbers.