Resized to 68% of original (view original)
Artist's commentary
Scheele's Green
Scheele's Green, also called Schloss Green, is chemically a cupric hydrogen arsenite (also called copper arsenite or acidic copper arsenite), CuHAsO3. It was used as a color for paper, e.g. for wallpapers and paper hangings, and in paints, wax candles, and even on some children's toys. It began to fall out of favor after the 1860s because of its toxicity and the instability of its color in the presence of sulfides and various chemical pollutants.