Zoom In: "The murderous green"

Presentation and guided tour

Since ancient times, green has been valued for its symbolism of vegetation and regeneration, associated with Osiris and Sobek in Egypt, and Venus among the Romans. In the Middle Ages, it became the colour of courtly love, but was chemically unstable, symbolising vanity and betrayal.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, green was seen as frivolous and immoral, although some kings liked it for decoration. With the industrial revolution, green became popular thanks to chemical advances. However, the green pigment invented by Scheele, which contained arsenic, proved fatal, causing many deaths in the 19th century, particularly among women wearing green dresses, nicknamed ‘Femmes fatales’.

Art historian Nathalie Becker will take you on a guided tour of the world of ‘assassin’ green.