Umber was one of the first pigments used by humans, dark brown pigments were rarely used in Medieval art and the great age of umber was the baroque period.
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. The great age of umber was the baroque period, where it often provided the dark shades in the chiaroscuro (light-dark) style of painting. 
