COLOR LAB #3: Color Stories from History — The Scandal of Mummy Brown

Yes, it was made from actual mummies. No, we’re not making this up.

Welcome back to Color Lab, where we slow down, pay attention, and get deeply weird about color. If Color Lab #1 taught us to fall in love with a single pigment (Perylene Green, our moody friend), and Color Lab #2 showed us how six colors can build an entire season, then Color Lab #3 is here to remind us that art history is bonkers and pigment stories are sometimes equal parts fascinating and horrifying.

This month we’re talking about Mummy Brown — a pigment that was exactly what it sounds like, widely beloved by artists for centuries, and eventually discontinued when painters realized what they’d actually been smearing on their canvases.

Buckle up. This one’s a journey.

(If you’re new here, start with our Color Lab Foundational Post to understand why we’re doing this and how Color Lab works.)

What Was Mummy Brown? (And Why Did It Exist?)

Mummy Brown, also called Egyptian Brown or Caput Mortuum (which literally means “dead head” because subtlety was not the goal), was a pigment made from ground-up Egyptian mummies. Specifically: the resin-soaked wrappings and sometimes the actual remains themselves.

Yes. Real mummies.

During the 16th through 19th centuries, European demand for mummies was wild. They were imported, ground up, and turned into medicine, fertilizer, and — relevantly for us — paint. The pigment was prized for its rich, warm, semi-transparent brown with reddish undertones. It was perfect for glazing, shadows, and flesh tones, which is why Pre-Raphaelites, Neoclassical painters, and a whole roster of now-famous artists used it without a second thought.

Until they had a second thought.

The Moment Artists Realized What They’d Been Painting With

The turning point came in the late 1800s when painter Edward Burne-Jones learned the true origin of his favorite brown pigment. According to art history lore, he was so horrified that he immediately took his tube of Mummy Brown into the garden and gave it a proper burial.

Other artists followed. Once word spread, demand plummeted. By the early 20th century, the pigment was discontinued — not because it performed poorly, but because the supply of conveniently located Egyptian mummies had (thankfully) run out, and artists were not cool with the whole “desecrating ancient burial practices for a nice glaze” thing.

And that, friends, is how we lost one of history’s most ethically questionable paint colors.

What Made Mummy Brown So Beloved (Before the Existential Crisis)

Setting aside the deeply uncomfortable sourcing, Mummy Brown was a legitimately excellent pigment. Here’s why artists loved it:

Transparency. It layered beautifully without going muddy, making it ideal for glazing techniques where you build depth slowly.

Warmth with complexity. The reddish-brown undertone kept shadows from feeling cold or flat. It added richness without overwhelming a composition.

Versatility. It worked in oils, watercolors, and tempera. It mixed well. It didn’t fade quickly. From a purely technical standpoint, it did its job very well.

Which is why the scandal hit so hard. Artists weren’t just using some random novelty pigment — they’d built entire techniques around it.

Swatching the Vibe (Without the Mummies)

Obviously, we’re not swatching actual Mummy Brown. But we can explore modern alternatives that capture the same warm, semi-transparent, historically moody energy without any ethical nightmares.

Modern Pigments That Channel Mummy Brown:

Transparent Red Oxide (PR101) — Semi-transparent, earthy, warm. Excellent for glazing and layering. This is probably the closest modern match in both color and behavior.

Burnt Sienna (PBr7) — Warmer and more orange-leaning, but similarly transparent and great for shadows and flesh tones.

Raw Umber (PBr7) — Cooler and more neutral, but still in the family. Pairs beautifully with warmer pigments to get that “old master” vibe.

Quinacridone Burnt Orange (PO48, PO49, or PR206) — One of our faves, which has sadly been discontinued (though there are some closer matches being made, no one has nailed it just yet). Want to go down a rabbit hole? Here’s a handy guide to discontinued Quinacridone Pigments.

When you’re swatching these, pay attention to:

• How transparent each pigment is when diluted
• The undertones that emerge in thin washes vs. full strength
• How they behave when layered over other colors
• Whether they lean warm (red/orange) or cool (gray/green)

This is where the “moody historical brown” energy really shows up. These pigments don’t scream — they settle in, add depth, and make everything around them feel more intentional.

Mixing Magic: Building Your Own “Mummy Brown” Palette

You don’t need the exact historical pigment to capture the feeling. Here’s how to mix your way there:

Transparent Red Oxide + Raw Umber — Gives you that warm, shadowy, slightly mysterious brown that made the original so popular.

Burnt Sienna + a touch of Ultramarine Blue — Deepens the warmth and adds complexity. The blue keeps it from feeling flat.

Raw Sienna + Perylene Green (hey, remember them from Color Lab #1?) — Creates an earthy, subdued brown with a hint of green shadow. Very “Renaissance underpainting” energy.

The key is transparency. Mummy Brown’s magic wasn’t just the color — it was how it played with light and layers. That’s what you’re chasing here.

How Artists Used It Then (And How You Can Use Alternatives Now)

Historically, Mummy Brown showed up everywhere:

Glazing and underpainting. Artists built up shadows slowly, layering thin washes to create luminous depth.

Flesh tones. Mixed with whites and reds, it provided warm, believable skin tones that didn’t look artificial.

Shadows in landscapes. Especially in earth, rocks, and foliage where warmth mattered.

Old master techniques. If you’ve ever looked at a Rembrandt or Caravaggio and thought “how did they get those shadows to glow like that?” — part of the answer is transparent, warm browns like this.

Today, you can use modern alternatives in all the same ways:

• Layering watercolor washes for atmospheric depth
• Underpainting in acrylics or oils before adding brighter colors
• Creating warm, believable shadows in portraits and still lifes
• Adding richness to mixed-media work without overpowering other elements

The technique hasn’t changed. Just the ethics.

Why This Story Matters (Beyond the “Yikes” Factor)

Yes, Mummy Brown is a wild historical footnote. But it’s also a reminder that pigment history is full of stories like this — beautiful colors with complicated origins.

Pigments have been sourced from: arsenic (toxic greens), lead (brilliant whites that poisoned artists), cochineal insects (vibrant reds), lapis lazuli stones so rare they cost more than gold, and yes, human remains.

Understanding where pigments come from (and why some were discontinued, reformulated, or replaced) makes you a smarter artist. It teaches you to ask questions like:

• What makes this color behave the way it does?
• Are there modern alternatives that work better (or more ethically)?
• Why do I reach for this pigment, and what am I actually trying to achieve?

Color Lab isn’t just about making pretty swatches. It’s about building a relationship with your materials so you can use them intentionally, confidently, and with full knowledge of what you’re working with.

Also, it makes you extremely fun at art supply store conversations. You’re welcome.

Come Swatch the Scandal With Us (Mummy-Free, We Promise)

If you want to explore these modern alternatives in person — test how Transparent Red Oxide layers, see how Burnt Sienna behaves on different papers, or just talk pigment history with people who are as nerdy about this as you are — come visit us.

We have a swatching station set up in the store with all the pigments we mention, swatching cards, and zero judgment about how deep you want to go into the historical rabbit hole. (Spoiler: we’re already there. Join us.)

We also love helping artists build custom palettes based on techniques they’re exploring, whether that’s old master glazing, modern watercolor layering, or just “I want moody browns that don’t look like mud.”

Bring your curiosity. Leave the mummies at home.

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