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After completing her analysis Dr. Buck found that the pigments, which were mostly composed of a yellow ocher, were widely available during President Madison’s time.  She also found that the binder was made out of hide glue, which indicated that the coating was actually a distemper paint.  Distemper paints were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it was one of the types of paint that Madison could have used.

2n

The ocher pigment used for the reproduction distemper paint at Montpelier.