Indian Yellow

Indian Yellow is part of my ongoing series “History in Color” exploring the complex histories of pigments. This brilliant golden hue was once produced through a cruel practice in India: cows were fed only mango leaves, causing their urine to turn a deep yellow. The pigment was extracted from their calcified urine, but at great cost to the animals’ health, often leading to kidney failure and death. The method was eventually outlawed for its inhumanity.

In this work, a Brahman bull stretches upward toward mangoes just out of reach—an image of human desire pursued at the expense of ethics. The ground below is scattered with rotting fruit and flies, while the landscape around lies barren. A lone wandering cow, adorned with flowers, suggests both reverence and the weight of human intervention.

This painting reflects the tragic story of Indian Yellow, reminding us that pigments are not just colors, but carriers of history, culture, and consequence.