Viridian is a blue-green pigment, a hydrated chromium(III) oxide, of medium saturation and relatively dark in value. It is composed of a majority of green, followed by blue. The first recorded use of viridian as a color name in English was in the 1860s.[2] Viridian takes its name from the Latinviridis, meaning "green".[3] The pigment was first prepared in mid-19th-century Paris and remains available from several US manufacturers as prepared artists' colors in all media.[4]: 276–77
^The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called viridian in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color viridian is displayed on page 79, Plate 28, Color Sample K11.
^Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 206; Color Sample of Viridian: Page 93 Plate 79 Color Sample K11
^Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 18 See: "Table--Polyglot Table of Principle Color Names" Pages 18-19
^Newman, Richard (1997). "Chromium Oxide Greens". In Fitzhugh, Elisabeth West (ed.). Artists' pigments : a handbook of their history and characteristics. Vol. 3. National Gallery of Art. pp. 275–293. ISBN0-89468-086-2. OCLC1224906722.