During the beginning of the 19th century, when the Portuguese court moved to Brazil from Portugal, the country had been extensively visited by European naturalists. They arrived in the still well ‘unknown’ territory to – besides other scientific interests – observe, describe, and collect information about the fauna and flora of the territory, as well as to make notes and record observations about several aspects of the country and its inhabitants. The journals produced by the naturalists are an exceptional source of information. This paper presents a compilation of the information that can be extracted from them, related mostly to paint and artistic materials.