An arrangement of paint swatches in a rainbow of colors

Gold from Newton’s Apple Tree

April 29, 2026

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Mertz Library

Historical Recipes for Natural Inks, Paints, & Dyes

A book cover covered in swatches of paint with the title "Gold from Newton's Apple Tree" British author and artist Nabil Ali will discuss the inner depths of his latest book, Gold From Newton’s Apple Tree.

Nabil will take you on a journey beginning with his garden inspiration and how he created a vast array of colors from the plants he cultivated. The talk gives fascinating insights into making natural inks, paints, and dyes from plants, including cornflowers, bog bilberries, corn poppy petals, iris flowers, oak galls, apple tree bark, and so much more. His knowledge of historical recipes and practical applications is informed by painters’ and illuminators’ technical manuscripts, spanning from the third century BCE through to the medieval period and beyond the European Renaissance—into modern practice accessible to all.

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A person in a brown jacket and hat, with a white beard, poses for a photo against a white background

About the Speaker

Nabil Ali is an author and visual research artist affiliated with the Cambridge University Botanic Garden as a visiting tutor in organic color. He consults technical specialists, historians, and conservation scientists relating to organic dyes and paint. He has delivered workshops at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the Ferens Art Gallery, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter at the University of Oxford and elsewhere. He founded Botanic Dyes, an accessible, open-source recipe index and dye catalogue for the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and is now a guest author in New York.

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