Claim: Umber was one of the first pigments used by humans, dark brown pigments were rarely used in Medieval art and was an important part of the palette of Caravaggio.
Evidence: Umber was one of the first pigments used by humans; it is found along with carbon black, red and yellow ocher in cave paintings from the Neolithic period. Dark brown pigments were rarely used in Medieval art; artists of that period preferred bright, distinct colors such as red, blue and green. It was an important part of the palette of Caravaggio (1571–1610) and Rembrandt (1606–1669).