While European art used linseed oil, made from flax seeds, as the standard drying agent, there is evidence to suggest that artists in colonial Mexico were using chia oil.

Most history and art texts state that oil painting had its roots in Europe in the 15th century, when artists began using drying oils, such as linseed oil, as a base for paints.

This article was originally published with the title “Linseed Oil and other Oils used in Art Painting” inSA Supplements Vol. 33 No. 844supp(March 1892), p. 13484doi:10.1038 ...