Painting Could Be Risky
When chemists analyzed the paint used in a masterpiece painting from four centuries ago, they found a list of toxic ingredients. The massive masterpiece displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is The Night Watch which measures 12 by 15 feet.
Dutch painter, Rembrandt van Rijn painted it in 1642. It depicts a militia company charged with protecting Amsterdam. Typically, these portraits would show the militia in neat rows, but Rembrandt wanted action and used light and shadow to achieve it.
The focal point of the painting is a lieutenant’s gold tunic which pops from the painting with a golden glow. Rembrandt used an unusual combination of paints, including lead-tin yellow and red-orange pigments made with arsenic and sulfur. Both lead and arsenic are highly toxic.
In utero and early childhood exposure impacts cognitive development and increases death in young adults. The immediate symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea and eventually death. Sulfur which he also used causes skin rashes and breathing it over time can cause chronic bronchitis. To make matters worse, some of the rich pigments were made by adding extra arsenic or sulfur to heated arsenic sulfur ores like bright yellow or bright red realgar also known as ″arsenic blende″, ″ruby sulfur″ or ″ruby of arsenic″.
We’re only now learning the hazards of being a painter during that time period and hope Rembrandt didn’t like to lick his paintbrushes!
More Information
Toxic Secret Found Hidden in The Golden Hues of Famous Rembrandt
The Dutch Golden Age would not have been nearly so golden without Rembrandt's special touch. Chemists at the Rijksmuseum and the University of Amsterdam have now figured out how the 17th-century Dutch painter, Rembrandt van Rijn, brought glowing light to the scene of The Night Watch.
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about tin and tin
compounds.
National Pesticide Information Center Sulfur Fact Sheet
Sulfur is an element that exists in nature and can be found in soil, plants, foods, and water. Some proteins contain sulfur in the form of amino acids. Sulfur is an essential nutrient for plants. Sulfur can kill insects, mites, fungi, and rodents. Sulfur has been registered for use in pesticide products in the United States since the 1920s.
Arsenic Poisoning
Arsenic poisoning can occur when you take in high levels of arsenic. Drinking contaminated water causes most cases. Symptoms of immediate arsenic poisoning include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure can cause skin changes such as darkening and lesions. Treatment may include the use of a chelating agent or bowel irrigation.
Toxicological Profile for Sulfur Dioxide
The ATSDR toxicological profile succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effets informaiton for the hazardous substance sulfur dioxide.