For centuries, artists used a paint pigment called 'Mummy Brown' made from ground-up Egyptian mummies.

The production of Mummy Brown began in the late 16th century and peaked during the 18th and 19th centuries. The pigment was created by grinding both human and feline mummies and mixing them with white pitch and myrrh. This resulted in a unique shade of brown that was neither as opaque as burnt umber nor as transparent as raw sienna.The pigment was particularly popular among the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including artists like Edward Burne-Jones and Lawrence Alma-Tadema. It was prized for its glazing qualities and its utility in depicting flesh tones and deep shadows. However, the paint was notoriously unstable and prone to cracking over time because it contained ammonia and fat from the remains.Historical records show that the demand for the pigment was so high that it fueled a massive trade in Egyptian antiquities. By the early 20th century, the supply of available mummies had significantly decreased, making the pigment harder to produce. In 1964, the managing director of the London color-making firm Roberson’s reported that they had run out of mummies to process.Modern chemical analysis of 19th-century paintings has confirmed the presence of organic matter consistent with ancient embalming resins and human remains. Today, the color is replicated using modern minerals like hematite and goethite. This ensures that artists can achieve the same aesthetic effect without the ethical or preservation issues associated with the original material.