green earth

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Green earth

Used since antiquity, medieval Italian painters used green earth for underpainting middle and shadow flesh tones.

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 11000
Chemical description: green earth composition vary widely and the main components are green minerals glauconite and celadonite, This is a green earth from Verona. Kremer PDF
Color: green
Color Index: PG23
More info: Pigments Through The Ages Colourlex

Green earth—also known as terre verte—is one of the oldest and most stable green pigments in the history of art. Naturally occurring as a clay rich in iron, magnesium, and potassium silicates, it has been used since antiquity, prized not for brilliance but for its subtle, muted, and utterly reliable tone.

The pigment appears extensively in ancient Mediterranean art. Romans employed green earth in wall paintings at Pompeii and Herculaneum. As a preparatory underlayer for flesh tones, this technique, known as “verdaccio,” was used by medieval and Renaissance painters. They painted green earth beneath skin areas to neutralize reds and achieve lifelike shadows, a practice visible in countless frescoes and panel paintings.

During the Middle Ages, green earth became essential in manuscript illumination and fresco cycles, not only for landscapes and garments but also for its exceptional stability in humid environments. Its resistance to fading, chemical change, and heat made it an ideal pigment for large wall decorations and for mixtures requiring a dependable green.

In the Renaissance and beyond, artists continued to use green earth for underpainting, glazing, and naturalistic landscapes. Though later bright greens—such as verdigris, emerald green, and chrome green—offered stronger chromatic impact, green earth remained valued for its gentle hue and archival reliability.

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