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"Fugitive Colour: George Field, Lake Pigments and the Problem of Permanence" with Kim Selvaggi
Fugitive pigments have presented artists, colourmakers, and conservators with the problem of fading for centuries. This talk explores the relationship between pigments, light and permanence, with particular attention to lake pigments – some of the most light-sensitive colours found in historic works of art. Their organic colourants can be especially susceptible to photochemical change, resulting in fading, shifts in colour and, in some cases, substantial loss of their original appearance.
Beginning with George Field’s nineteenth-century investigations into the permanence of artists’ colours, including his experiments with madder lake, the talk traces the problem of fugitive colour into contemporary conservation. It will introduce the science behind light-induced fading, how conservators assess and test lightfastness, and what this can tell us about the past and future appearance of paintings.
Pigments Talk
Sept 19, 2026
12pm Pacific Daylight time
(convert time zones here)
Kim teaching lake pigment preparation for the Material Research Project.
Bio:
Kim is an art historian, conservator, and artist whose research bridges art history, material studies, conservation science, and studio practice. Her work focuses on the material histories of colour, with particular attention to historical lake pigments, their production, degradation, and cultural significance across time.
She completed both an MA and MSc in Conservation at University College London, specializing in the technical study of artists’ materials and heritage objects. Her interdisciplinary training brings together conservation methodology, scientific analysis, art historical inquiry, and practical engagement with historic materials.
Her doctoral research at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, examines historical pigment practices through archival research, studio-based reconstruction, and experimental methodologies. Her research has included extensive work with the nineteenth-century Winsor & Newton archive and the reconstruction of historical colourmen’s recipes, particularly those associated with George Field. Through the making and investigation of plant-based dyes and lake pigments, her work explores material instability, permanence, and the transmission of technical knowledge between colourmen, artists, manufacturers, and conservators.
Alongside her research, Kim teaches Collections Care at the Academy of Art University and contributes to laboratory skills teaching on UCL’s MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums. At the Slade School of Fine Art she has been a demonstrator for the Material Research Project, providing hands on instruction in the preparation and investigation of paints and pigments.
Contact information:
Instagram: @kimselvaggi
Website: www.kimberlyselvaggi.com