Color: Burnt Umber | Country: Umbria, Italy

Brown is an unassuming color, one that is seen everywhere in life but has no place on the color chart. In fact, It wasn’t until 1885 when one man’s love of beer led him to produce the first colorimeter with a graded glass color scale for the many different shades in food and beverage. It was named the Lovibond color scale after him.

Umber derives from the Italian word ‘terra d’ombra,’ which loosely translates to ‘earth of Umbria.’ A natural earth pigment consisting of iron oxide and manganese oxide, it was one of the very first pigments to be discovered in Stone Age cave paintings alongside carbon black, red and yellow ochre. Interest in Umber and Burnt Umber declined in the Medieval Ages as artists during this period favored more distinct colors like red, blue, and green as opposed to darker brown pigments.

The term Burnt Umber first appeared in the English language in 1650. One of the more famous techniques used during the Baroque times was called “chiaroscuro,” which used browns to create the glaring and noticeable contrast between light and dark in paintings. In the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci used Raw and Burnt Umber for the brown tones throughout his subject’s hair and clothing.

Menu

Chickpea and Chestnut Soup

Fennel and Orange Salad

Barbazza con Sagrantino & Salvia

Leek Risotto

Vanilla Ricotta Cream with Chocolate Sauce and Orange Caramel