Lead White

Synthetic · Antiquity to the 20th century

Historically fatal toxicity

Lead is a well-documented neurotoxin; historical exposure among painters and pigment workers is well documented in the medical literature.

Banned or heavily restricted in most countries for paint and consumer products due to lead toxicity. Not used in modern artists' paint from major manufacturers.

Source material: Basic lead carbonate, produced from metallic lead
Geography: Produced and used across the ancient Mediterranean, later throughout Europe
Earliest documented use: Antiquity (at least the 4th century BCE)
Cost & availability: Widely available and relatively inexpensive for most of its long history.
Production (historical summary): Produced by exposing lead to vinegar fumes and carbon dioxide over an extended period — the dominant white pigment for over two thousand years.
Stability & lightfastness: Excellent opacity and covering power, but can darken when exposed to sulfur compounds. (excellent)
Replacement / obsolescence: Largely phased out from the 20th century in favour of titanium white and zinc white, which are non-toxic.

Notable uses

The dominant white pigment in Western oil painting for centuries
Historical cosmetics

Sources

The National Gallery, London (conservation and pigment research) — The National Gallery
Wikipedia (colour, pigment and dye history articles) — Wikimedia Foundation

The history of white White

Lead White

Notable uses

Sources

Related

Lead White

Notable uses

Sources

Related