Madder is a perennial plant with creeping and climbing stems, generally about one meter long, sometimes a little more. A notable feature: unlike most plants, its stems have a square cross-section.
Its leaves are leathery and slightly toothed. They grow in whorls of six and are edged with small hooks—also present on the central vein—which allow the plant to cling to neighboring vegetation and rise above it.
Flowering runs from June to August. The flowers, with four or five petals fused at the base, give way to small fleshy fruits the size of a pea, black when ripe. As for the rhizome, it can sink as deep as 80 cm into the soil.
Madder is a plant cultivated for centuries for its dyeing properties. It is still used today, especially in hair dyeing. Its coloring power is so strong that it can even tint the bones of animals when mixed into their feed.
While madder is best known for its dyeing qualities, it was also turned into a painting pigment, especially in the Middle Ages. Illuminators used its roots to obtain red shades, in the form of a lake (a lake is a pigment obtained by precipitating plant dyes onto an alum base).
Some painters used it as a glaze to enrich or warm up reds, notably over vermilion. Its main drawback, however, is its relative fugacity: when exposed to light, it fades over time, which explains why many old works have seen their madder reds lose intensity. But if it is properly fixed and protected, its color can last for centuries. The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered in the 11th century, is a remarkable illustration: its madder-dyed threads (yielding orange-reds, pinks, and browns) have held up remarkably well, unlike the restoration threads added in the 19th century, which have faded considerably.
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For your safety, it’s recommended to wear a mask and rubber gloves, and to work in a well-ventilated area—either outdoors or with the windows open and the kitchen extractor hood running—to avoid inhaling the fumes.
This step helps release the coloring compounds contained in the roots and prepares the solution for pigment extraction. Distilled water is preferable to prevent interference from impurities that could alter the quality of the dye.
Glass is recommended because it is neutral and does not react with the chemical substances in the mixture.
This heating method activates and extracts the dyes without degrading them. The double boiler ensures uniform heat distribution, which is essential for optimal results.
This step triggers the chemical reaction needed to fix the dyes onto a mineral base, transforming the soluble dyes into insoluble pigments (lake pigments). Mix well to ensure an even reaction.
To learn how to prepare wood ash lye, I invite you to check my recipe.
As it filters, a dense paste forms inside the filter. This paste contains the pigments.
This step provides a powdered pigment, ready to be mixed with a binder to create paint.
