← Colour Lab
Indian Yellow
#FFB300 · click to copy
Warm
HEX
#FFB300
RGB
255, 179, 0
CMYK
0%, 30%, 100%, 0%
Moods & Keywords
rare
historical
transparent
warm
yellow
Pigment & Material
Euxanthic acid and euxanthone, extracted from the urine of mango-fed cows. Brilliant transparent yellow, now discontinued after the practice was banned in 1908 as animal cruelty. Modern "Indian yellow" is a hue mixture of transparent yellows.
Origin & History
One of the most mysterious pigments in art history — Indian yellow was used by Dutch and English painters from the 15th to 19th centuries. Its source was unknown until 1883, when it was discovered to be made from the urine of malnourished cows fed exclusively on mango leaves.
Psychology
Indian yellow is radiant and warm — a transparent, luminous yellow that creates glazed sunlight effects impossible with opaque yellows. Its animal origin gives it an oddly organic warmth.
In Culture
Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Turner all used Indian yellow. Its source in cow urine from Mirzapur, India was revealed by T.N. Mukharji in 1883. The practice was banned in 1908. Art historians can now identify original Indian yellow in paintings using ultraviolet spectroscopy — allowing them to precisely date and authenticate works.
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