A natural mineral, it was unpopular in oil paint because of its coarse granules, but worked well in water-based media. It faded from use after a brief revival in the 19th century.
del Cossa
How Arachne came to a weaving contest against Minerva, but told the truth about gods and goddess, so was turned into a spider.
Weaving turned yarn into fabric ready to make into garments. Associations include industry, passing time, fidelity, and the myth of Arachne.
A beautiful, intense green used by the van Eycks, Tintoretto, Domenichino, and Renoir, it was never popular in oil paints, and quietly died out.
Rich in wordplay, this story is almost unique to Ovid. It was oddly prescient of his own later banishment too.
