ochre

(noun)

An earth pigment containing silica, aluminum, and ferric oxide.

Related Terms

Examples of ochre in the following topics:

  • African Art

    • The stones are made from ochre and covered in abstracted patterns of intersecting, incised lines.
    • Engraved ochre from the Blombos Cave has led some historians to believe that early Homo Sapiens were capable of symbolic art.

  • Paleolithic Artifacts

    • Visible smudge stains have been interpreted by some as remnants of red ochre pigments.
    • Made from ochre, the stones are engraved with abstract patterns, and while they are simpler than prehistoric cave paintings found in Europe, some scholars believe these engraved stones represent the earliest known artworks, dating from 75,000 years ago.
    • Engraved ochre from the Blombos Cave has led some historians to believe that early Homo sapiens were capable of symbolic art.

  • Samburu

    • It may be colored using red ochre.
    • Their bodies are sometimes decorated with ochre, as well.

  • Paleolithic Cave Paintings

    • The pigments used appear to be red and yellow ochre, manganese or carbon for black, and china clay for white.
    • There are a few panels of red ochre hand prints and hand stencils made by spitting pigment over hands pressed against the cave surface.
    • The artists used polychromy—charcoal and ochre or haematite—to create the images, often diluting these pigments to produce variations in intensity, creating an impression of chiaroscuro.

  • Art in Western Europe

    • There are a few panels of red ochre hand prints and hand stencils made by spitting pigment over hands pressed against the cave surface.
    • The artists used polychromy, charcoal, ochre, or haematite to create the images.

  • Illustrated Books in the Early Middle Ages

    • However, the pigments for the illustrations, which included red and yellow ochre, green copper pigment (sometimes called verdigris), indigo, and lapis lazuli, were very costly and precious.

  • Paleolithic Sculpture

    • Made from ochre, the stones are engraved with abstract patterns, while the beads are made from Nassarius shells.

  • Sculpture of the Old Kingdom

    • Paints were obtained from minerals such as iron ores (red and yellow ochres), copper ores (blue and green), soot or charcoal (black), and limestone (white).

  • Romanesque Painting and Stained Glass

    • The range of colors employed is limited to light blue-green, yellow ochre, reddish brown, and black.

  • Block Books

    • Pigments ranged from plant materials, such as ochre (red and yellow), to more chemically-derived ones, such as cobalt (blue).