naples yellow

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Naples yellow

It had been in use since antiquity until about 1850

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 10130
Chemical description: lead antimonate, this formulation contains also zinc oxide as a stabilizer, KREMER PDF
Color: yellow
Color Index: PY41
More info: Pigments Through The Ages Colourlex

Naples yellow is one of the oldest synthetic pigments known to artists, with a history that stretches back over three millennia. Chemically a lead antimonate, it was first produced in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean, where it appears in Egyptian faience, Mesopotamian ceramics, and classical Roman wall paintings. The pigment—ranging from soft, creamy yellow to deeper warm tones—was prized for its opacity, stability, and distinctive, slightly earthy character. Its name, however, became widespread much later, during the Renaissance, when significant deposits of naturally occurring lead antimonate were identified near Naples and associated with the pigment’s renewed use.

Throughout the 15th to 18th centuries, Naples yellow became a fundamental color in European painting. It was employed heavily in oil painting for highlights, flesh tones, and warm light effects. Artists such as Titian, Veronese, and later the Dutch masters valued its covering power and its ability to produce luminous, naturalistic mixtures—especially when combined with lead white, vermilion, or earth pigments. It also played a central role in ceramic glazes and enamel work, where its heat stability proved especially useful.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, the traditional toxic formulation of Naples yellow began to decline as safer and less expensive substitutes were developed, including mixtures based on chrome yellow, zinc white, and ochres. True lead antimonate remained available only in limited form and was eventually phased out due to toxicity regulations.

Today, “Naples yellow” sold in modern paint ranges is typically a blend of synthetic pigments designed to reproduce the historical hue.

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