![Chromium(III)-oxide-sample](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Chromium%28III%29-oxide-sample.jpg)
Viridian is a blue-green
pigment
A pigment is a colored material that is completely or nearly insoluble in water. In contrast, dyes are typically soluble, at least at some stage in their use. Generally dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic compo ...
, a hydrated
chromium(III) oxide
Chromium(III) oxide (or chromia) is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of chromium and is used as a pigment. In nature, it occurs as the rare mineral eskolaite.
Structure and properties
has the corundum ...
, of medium saturation and relatively dark in value. It is composed of a majority of
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
, followed by
blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
. Specifically, it is a shade of
spring green
Spring green is a color that was traditionally considered to be on the yellow side of green, but in modern computer systems based on the RGB color model is halfway between cyan and green on the color wheel.
The modern spring green, when plott ...
, which places the color between green and
teal
alt=American teal duck (male), Green-winged teal (male)
Teal is a greenish-blue colour. Its name comes from that of a bird — the Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'') — which presents a similarly coloured stripe on its head. The word is ofte ...
on the
color wheel
A color wheel or color circle is an abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.
Some sources use the terms ''color wheel'' & ' ...
, or, in paint, a
tertiary
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
blue–green color. Viridian takes its name from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''viridis'', meaning "green". The first recorded use of ''viridian'' as a color name in English was in the 1860s (exact year uncertain).
__TOC__
Variations of viridian
Paolo Veronese green
Paolo Veronese green is the color that is called ''Verde Verones'' in the ''Guía de coloraciones'' (''Guide to colorations'') by Rosa Gallego and Juan Carlos Sanz, a color dictionary published in 2005 that is widely popular in the
Hispanophone
Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere).
In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...
realm.
''Paolo Veronese green'' was a color formulated and used by the noted 16th-century
Venetian artist
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Caliari (152819 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( , also , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of religion and mythology, such as ''The Wedding at Cana'' (1563) and ''The ...
.
''Paolo Veronese green'' began to be used as a color name in English sometime in the 1800s (exact year uncertain).
Another name for this color is ''transparent oxide of chromium''.
Viridian green
At right is displayed the color viridian green.
The source of this color is the "
Pantone
Pantone LLC (stylized as PANTONE) is a limited liability company headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The company is best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space used in a variety of industries, notably graphic ...
Textile Paper eXtended (TPX)" color list, color #17-5126 TPX—Viridian Green.
Generic viridian
Generic viridian is the color that is called ''Viridian inspecifico'' in the ''Guía de coloraciones'' (''Guide to colorations'') by Rosa Gallego and
Juan Carlos Sanz, a color dictionary published in 2005 that is widely popular in the
Hispanophone
Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere).
In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...
realm.
Spanish viridian
Spanish viridian is the color that is called ''Viridian specifico'' in the ''Guía de coloraciones'' (''Guide to colorations'') by Rosa Gallego and
Juan Carlos Sanz, a color dictionary published in 2005 that is widely popular in the Hispanophone realm.
In popular culture
Although viridian is a less-used color name in English, it is used in a number of cultural references, probably because it is derived from ''viridis'', the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word for green, so using the word ''viridian'' sounds more elegant than simply referring to the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
word ''green''.
;Automobiles
*"Viridian Joule" was the winning color name in
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ous ...
's
Volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
Defi ...
Paint-Color Naming Contest.
;Broadcasting
*Viridian was the signature color of
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
's
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
from
1991–2001.
;Television
*''Viridian'' was the name of an Orion starship in ''
Star Trek: Discovery''
;Environmental Design
*The ''
viridian design movement
The Viridian Design Movement was an aesthetic movement focused on concepts from bright green environmentalism. The name was chosen to refer to a shade of green that does not quite look natural, indicating that the movement was about innovative des ...
'' is a popular design movement based on a
bright green environmentalism
Bright green environmentalism is an ideology based on the belief that the convergence of technological change and social innovation provides the most successful path to sustainable development.
Origin and evolution of bright green thinking
The te ...
philosophy.
;Film
*Viridian is mentioned by Otho when discussing remodeling, in the 1988 film ''
Beetlejuice
''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton, written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and Warren Skaaren, produced by The Geffen Company, distributed by Warner Bros., and starring Alec Baldwin, ...
''.
;Music
* "Viridian" is the seventh song on
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (lead guitar, backing ...
's ''
Colors
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...
''.
* "Viridian (Interlude)" is the sixteenth track on
Bethel Music
Bethel Music is an American music label and worship movement from Redding, California, originating out of Bethel Church (Redding, California), Bethel Church where they started making music in 2001. Bethel Music has grown from being a local church ...
's ''
Without Words: Synesthesia''
* ''Viridian'' is the name of the ninth studio album by rock band
Closterkeller
Closterkeller is a Polish gothic rock band from Warsaw. It was formed in 1988 by Przemysław Guryń, Jacek Skirucha, and the vocalist Anja Orthodox. Despite many changes in the band's line-up it has created a characteristic sound. Orthodox is th ...
whose releases are usually named after colors
* "Viridian" is the fourth song in
Novo Amor's 2022 instrumental album ''Antarctican Dream Machine''
; Literature
* In the
Space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...
series
Dread Empire's Fall
''Dread Empire's Fall'' is a space opera novel series, written since 2002 by the American author Walter Jon Williams.
Setting and synopsis
The ''Dread Empire's Fall'' series is set in a future in which the powerful Shaa species thousands of years ...
, by American author
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...
, the first mention of ''viridian'' is in the initial book of the series, ''The Praxis''
for both the sky color of Shaa Empire capital world Zanshaa as well as color of the uniforms of their Fleet.
;Video games
*In the ''
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
'' franchise, in the Kanto region, Viridian City is the first town one encounters after leaving Pallet Town via Route 1 and also home to the final
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...
.
*In ''
VVVVVV
''VVVVVV'' is a 2010 puzzle-platform game created by Terry Cavanagh. In the game, the player controls Captain Viridian, who must rescue their spacecrew after a teleporter malfunction caused them to be separated in Dimension VVVVVV. The game ...
'', the player character is Captain Viridian, who is a light blue-green color. All characters have names referencing their color and starting with the letter
V.
*In ''
Knights of the Old Republic II
''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (video game), Star Wa ...
'' the player character can find and use a viridian lightsaber crystal.
*In ''
League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for War ...
'' the champion Kayle has a viridian costume that is green with black wings.
*In ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Trials and Tribulations'', there is a running joke about the color, started by the character
Larry Butz
''Ace Attorney'' is a series of legal thriller comedy-drama Adventure game, adventure/visual novel Video game, games created by Shu Takumi. Players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting in the main series. Publis ...
.
*In the Steam game ''Aviary Attorney'', the Viridian Killer is responsible for murders in France during the 1830s.
See also
*
List of colors
These are the lists of colors;
* List of colors: A–F
* List of colors: G–M
* List of colors: N–Z
* List of colors (compact)
* List of colors by shade
* List of color palettes
* List of Crayola crayon colors
* List of RAL colors
* List ...
*
List of inorganic pigments
The following list includes commercially or artistically important inorganic pigments of natural and synthetic origin..
Purple pigments
Aluminum pigments
* Ultramarine violet: (PV15) - a synthetic or naturally occurring sulfur containing silicat ...
*
Green pigments
Green pigments are the materials used to create the green colors seen in painting and the other arts. Most come from minerals, particularly those containing compounds of copper. Green pigments reflect the green portions of the spectrum of visibl ...
References
Further reading
*Newman, R., Chromium Oxide Greens, in Artists’ Pigments, A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Vol 3: E.W. Fitzhugh (Ed.) Oxford University Press 1997, p. 273 – 286
External links
Viridian Pigments through the Ages, Webexhibits. Information about the color viridian, its history, making of, and its chemistry
Viridian Colourlex
Viridian Red Noida Viridian Red Noida
{{Shades of green
Quaternary colors
Shades of cyan
Inorganic pigments
Chromium(III) compounds
Transition metal oxides