Antica Green Earth Oil Paint
A transparent, warm olive-green oil color sourced from basaltic tufa deposits near Prun, Italy. Like other green earths, it has historically been used in verdaccio underpainting, the technique Italian Renaissance painters used to establish flesh-tone values.
Antica Green Earth is a transparent green oil color sourced from basaltic tufa deposits near Prun, Italy, ground in linseed oil.
Independent Raman microspectroscopy analysis (Smith and Kastenholz, Indianapolis Museum of Art and Butler University, 2019) identified copper phthalocyanine green (PG7) as a minor colorant in this pigment, mixed with yellow ochre. Full analytical findings, spectral data, and microscopy images are on the Antica Green Earth pigment page.
Green earth was used in verdaccio—a style of underpainting that uses green-grey colors to establish values for later layers of paint. Verdaccio is renowned for being particularly effective when painting flesh tones. It was popular amongst Italian Renaissance artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who used verdaccio underpainting in his masterpiece, the Mona Lisa.
Composition and Permanence
| Antica Green Earth | |
| Color: | Green |
| Binder: | Linseed oil |
| Additive(s): | None |
| Pigment Information | |
| Pigment: | Antica Green Earth |
| Pigment Classification: | Natural inorganic and synthetic organic |
| Colour Index: | Pigment Green 23 (77009); Pigment Yellow 43 (77492); Pigment Green 7 (74260) |
| Chemical Name: | Hydrated Iron Potassium Silicate (mineral); Hydrated Iron Oxide (mineral, yellow ochre); Copper Phthalocyanine (synthetic) |
| Chemical Formula: | K(Mg,Fe)(Fe,Al)Si4O10(OH)2 (mineral); FeO(OH) (yellow ochre); C32H16CuN8 (synthetic) |
| CAS No. | — |
| Properties | |
| Code: | 208 |
| Series: | 1 |
| Opacity: | Transparent |
| Tinting Strength: | Low to medium |
| Drying Rate: | Medium |
| Lightfastness: | I |
| Permanence: | A |
| Safety Information: | Based on the toxicological review, there are no acute or known chronic health hazards with the anticipated use of this product. Always protect yourself against potentially unknown chronic hazards of this and other chemical products by avoiding ingestion, excessive skin contact, and inhaling spraying mists, sanding dust, and concentrated vapors. Contact us for further details or consult the MSDS. |
For a detailed explanation of the terms in the table above, please visit the Composition and Permanence page.
Notes
Some separation of pigment and oil may occur in Rublev Colours Artist Oils, and it is a natural process when no wax or stabilizers are added to the paint to prevent it.
All color swatches on this website are approximations of the actual color of the oil paint. We have carefully matched the color in these pictures on calibrated color monitors to the actual color. However, because of the wide variance in color monitors, the results may vary.
Color Swatch Note: The color swatch was created with a thick application of color (left side) and a tint (right side) made with equal parts of color and titanium white, applied to acrylic-primed cotton canvas.
Drawdown Note: The image of the "drawdown" shows a premixed paint film 6 mils (0.006 inches) thick, applied to a standard test card to examine color consistency, opacity, and other qualities. The drawdowns show the full-color strength (mass tone) on the left and mixed in a 1:2 ratio with titanium white on the right. The bottom area of the drawdowns is scraped to show undertones.
| Color Names | |
| Common Names: | English: green earth French: terre verte German: grüne Masse Italian: terre verde Portuguese: terra verde Russian: зеленаяземля Spanish: tierra verde |
| SKU | 820-208 |
|---|---|
| Brand | Rublev Colours |
| Vendor | Natural Pigments |
| Processing Time | Usually ships the next business day. |
| Color | Green |
| Color | Green |
| Pigment Type | Inorganic, Earth, Natural |
| Pigment Family / Chemistry | Earth Pigments |
| Pigment Code | PG7, PG23, PY43 |
| Particle Size | Fine |
| Drying Rate | Medium |
| Transparency/Opacity | Transparent |
| Chemical Prohibition | No |
Health & Safety: There are no acute or known chronic health hazards with the anticipated use of this product (most chemicals are not thoroughly tested for chronic toxicity). Protect yourself against potentially unknown chronic hazards of this and other chemical products by avoiding ingestion, excessive skin contact, and inhaling spraying mists, sanding dust, and concentrated vapors from heating. Contact us for further information or consult the SDS for more information. Conforms to ASTM D-4236.
