Madder Powder 

Curator: Here we have "Madder Powder," manufactured by Eimer & Amend, a New York company, and part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: It’s funny, it’s like a still life, but also a scientific document. The colors are so precise, but somehow the whole thing feels melancholic. Curator: Indeed. The very nature of madder root, used for centuries to dye textiles red, has been intrinsically tied to global trade routes and colonial exploitation. The color's vibrancy often obscures a history of extraction. Editor: You’re right. It’s like this quiet little jar contains all that…the violence of color. Curator: Precisely, and it highlights how seemingly innocuous materials can carry profound socio-political weight. Editor: I guess, seeing this just reminds me how much art is in the stuff we usually ignore. Curator: Absolutely, and how much history is invisibly woven into our everyday palettes.