Neapolitan yellow got its name from the original place of extraction - the Naples region, where it was extracted from some areas of hardened lava. Artificial production began in Italy around the middle of the 18th century. The pigment has been known for over 2.5 thousand years. The name "Neapolitan yellow" arose after 1700. Italian artists have used since the XIV century. In Russia and France since the 17th century.

The composition of lead antimony Pb2Sb207 (Sb2Cbx2PbO). Depending on the quantitative ratios of the constituent parts, the pigment has various shades from light yellow with a golden hue to yellow-orange, and is somewhat faded. In painting, Neapolitan yellow often mimics the color of gold.

Neapolitan yellow is a fast drying paint and will speed up the drying of other paints. Differs in big hiding power. Does not allow contact with iron; the paint darkens, so you should not apply the paint with a palette knife. The paint is lightfast, but darkens with prolonged exposure to light. Neapolitan yellow darkens under the influence of hydrogen sulfide and sulphurous gases.

A similar name had Neapolitan yellow. In composition - antimony-lead salts of various ratios with a variable amount of lead oxide. It was discovered around the middle of the 18th century in Naples and was sometimes used in Italy under the name "Gialolino". Often contained impurities (alumina - alumina and potassium). Sometimes, under the name antimony yellow, paint was used with the addition of bismuth oxide or its antimony salt.

• Chemical Description: Artificial pigment. Chemical compound of antimony acid with lead oxide.

• Chemical formula: Pb2Sb2O7 ZnO

• ColorIndex PY 41

• Opaque

• Light fastness - 6-7

• Alkali resistance: 5

• Lime stability: 5

• Acid resistance: 5

• Availability Acrylic, Ceramic, Oil, Tempera, Watercolor / Gouache

• Yellow color

• Powder form

• Hiding power is high

Undesirable paint mixtures based on lead pigments.

• Mixtures of lead pigments with ultramarine, cobalt blue and violet, speckled red (antraquinone) are unacceptable. Mixing with these colors causes them to darken or brown in tone.

• Lead pigments in mixtures with violet kraplak, Van Dyck (Porkhov), as well as with black paints (especially with burnt bone), if mixed in low concentrations (less than 1:10), causes a sharp brightening of paints.

• Lead pigments should not be mixed with paints prepared with organic pigments.

• In mixtures of lead pigments with dark cobalt violet, dark ocher, natural umber, mars brown dark transparent and mars brown light, the color tone is lightened.