Interestingly, Chevreul was also influential in the world of art. After being named director of Gobelin Tapestry Works in Paris, he received many complaints about the dyes being used there. It was in fact the yarn that caused the problem. A yarns color was influenced by other surrounding yarns. This led to a concept known as simultaneous contrast.
Chevreul also discovered and named olein, the liquid part of any fat, and stearin, a white substance found in the solid parts of most animal and vegetable fats.
A gold medal was minted for the occasion of Chevreul's 100th birthday in 1886, and it was celebrated as a national event. Chevreul received letters of commendation from many heads of state and monarchs, including Queen Victoria. Overall, it was a fitting tribute to a man who lived through the entire French Revolution and lived to see the unveiling of the Eiffel tower.
Ironically, Chevreul began to study the effects of ageing on the human body shortly before his death at the grand age of 102.