German Vine Black Pigment

Rublev Colours German Vine Black is a moderate, slightly cool gray that works well in graying out flesh tones without dirtying them. Pliny describes a black earth he calls ‘Ampelitis’ or ‘vine earth,’ attributing its color to deposits of earth in Germany.

Origin and History

Vine black has been known since antiquity and was used extensively by medieval and Renaissance artists. The term vine black most commonly refers to a char made from vine twigs or stems, but historical sources and later authors also used the term more loosely to describe a range of dark materials. As Mayer (1983) notes, the term was sometimes applied to “various second-rate materials of vegetable, animal, and petroleum origins.” Tingry (1804), however, states that vine black does in fact come from burnt vine twigs. The name has also been applied more broadly to “impure carbon of organic and mineral origin” (Colour Index 1971).

In addition to true vine-charcoal blacks, some historical and commercial names for black pigments have overlapped with those of black earths and other naturally occurring dark materials, including bituminous and lignite-rich earths (e.g., Cassel earth). (Ref Pigment Compendium, A Dictionary and Optical Microscopy of Historical Pigments; 2008 by N. Eastaugh, V. Walsh, T. Chaplin, R. Siddall, Published by Elsevier Ltd.; p.57).

Rublev Colours German Vine Black is not made from charred vines. It is a natural black earth from deposits in Germany, in which the black color is primarily due to iron oxide mineral(s). XRD analysis indicates a composition dominated by magnetite (black iron oxide), with accessory goethite (brown iron oxyhydroxide), clay minerals (including montmorillonite/illite), and minor silica phases.

Traditional Manufacture of Vine-Charcoal Black

Traditional vine black is produced by charring dried grape vines and stems, yielding predominantly amorphous carbon with small quantities of potassium and sodium salts. One-year-old, barely lignified shoots (pruned annually) are cut to length, packed tightly into iron pipes, sealed, and heated gradually to red heat. The resulting char may contain appreciable potassium carbonate derived from the plant’s salts; this can be reduced by washing with water. Washing and grinding may constitute the entire preparation.

Soft shoots of other plants can also be carbonized to produce similar black pigments. Shoots of porous, light woods such as poplar, alder, and willow are especially suitable.

Why We Use the Name “Vine Black” for a Black Earth

There is a sound historical basis for associating a black earth with the vine. Pliny describes a black earth he calls ampelitis (“vine earth”) in Natural History. Here, Pliny describes the earth and its application:

Ampelitis* is an earth that bears a strong resemblance to bitumen. The test of its goodness is its dissolving in oil, like wax, and preserving its black colour when submitted to the action of fire. Its properties are emollient and repercussive; for which reason, it is used in medicinal compositions, those known as “calliblephara,” more particularly, and in preparations for dyeing the hair.

*So called from ἀμπέλος, a “vine;” either because it was applied to vines to kill the insects, or because its admixture with the soil was favourable to the cultivation of the vine.

Source: The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855. Chapter 56. Last accessed on August 9, 2023.

The mine from which this earth originates uses the name vine black (or nero vitae) by analogy to the “vine earth” described by Pliny—i.e., a naturally occurring black earth associated historically with the vine. We have retained the established trade name while making clear that this product is a mineral black earth rather than a vine-charcoal black.

Permanence and Compatibility

German Vine Black is derived from earth deposits of iron oxide, goethite, and clay. These earth pigments are permanent, compatible with all pigments, and can be used in all mediums. 

Oil Absorption and Grinding

German Vine Black absorbs a moderate amount of linseed oil; 30 grams of oil are needed to form a paste with 100 grams of pigment. It grinds effortlessly in both drying oils and water. German Vine Black is mainly composed of magnetite and geothite, with a moderate oil absorption value. 

Toxicity

German Vine Black, like most earth pigments, is not considered toxic, but care should be taken when handling the dry powder pigment to avoid inhaling dust.

Rublev Colours Pigment: German Vine Black