Venetian White Oil Color
According to Salter's edition of George Field's Chromatography (1869), Venetian white was a commercial name in the nineteenth century for a white pigment mixture composed of equal parts of lead white (basic lead carbonate) and 'heavy spar' (that is, the barium sulfate mineral barite or baryte). The names Venice white and Venice ceruse were also used for this mixture and for pure lead white as well.
We've replicated this color for artists today without the fillers and stabilizers (e.g., stearates, waxes, etc.) typical of modern whites. The white mineral barite (Refractive Index or R.I. 1.65) has a lower refractive index than lead white (R. I. 2.01), making it less opaque and well-suited for mixing with other colors. Use it to make pale tints of colors without overpowering them or as a foundation for other colors.
ReferenceGeorge Field. Chromatography; Or, A Treatise on Colours and Pigments, edited by T. W. Salter. London, 1869.
To compare all Lead Whites, please see the article "."
Composition and Permanence| Venetian White | |
| Color: | Venetian White |
| Pigment: | Mixed pigment (See "Pigment Information" below) |
| Binder: | Walnut oil |
| Additive(s): | None |
| Pigment 1 Information | |
| Pigment: | |
| Pigment Classification: | Synthetic inorganic |
| Colour Index: | Pigment White 1 (77597) |
| Chemical Name: | Basic lead carbonate or Lead(II) carbonate basic |
| Chemical Formula: | 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2 |
| CAS No. | 1319-46-6 |
| Pigment 2 Information | |
| Pigment: | |
| Pigment Classification: | Natural inorganic |
| Colour Index: | Pigment White 22 |
| Chemical Name: | Barium sulfate |
| Chemical Formula: | BaSO4 |
| CAS No. | 7727-43-7 13462-86-7 |
| Properties | |
| Code: | 808 |
| Series: | 3 |
| Opacity: | Semi-Opaque |
| Tinting Strength: | Medium |
| Drying Rate: | Medium |
| ASTM Lightfastness: | Not Listed |
| Permanence: | A - Permanent |
| Safety Information: | DANGER! CONTAINS LEAD. HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid ingestion and skin contact. Wear protective clothing and gloves to prevent contact with skin. Never use near children or pets. Conforms to ASTM D 4236. DANGER |
For a detailed explanation of the terms in the table above, please visit .
NotesSome separation of pigment and oil may occur in Rublev Colours Artist Oils and is a natural process when no wax or stabilizers are added to paint to prevent this from occurring.
All images of color swatches on this website are only 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, your results may vary because of the wide variance in color monitors.
Color Swatch Note: The color swatch was created with a thick application (left side) of color and a tint (right side) made with equal parts of color and titanium white and applied on acrylic primed cotton canvas.
Drawdown Note: The image of the "drawdown" contains a pre-mixed paint film of 6 mils (0.006 inches) thickness applied to a standard test card to examine color consistency, opacity, and other qualities. The drawdowns show the color's full 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.