king’s yellow
pigment
Quick Summary
King's yellow is a pigment that is a form of arsenic trisulfide, also known as orpiment. Historically, artists used orpiment as a pigment, and artificial arsenic trisulfide production began in the 18th century. However, due to its extreme toxicity, it was largely abandoned, except for a fine grade called king's yellow. This pigment was used until cadmium yellow became available. Pigments are intensely colored compounds used to color other materials and can be organic or inorganic.123
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
