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Red Lead, Minium (Genuine Historical Pigment)

PR105

Alternate Name

Surik

Pigment Description

Red Lead, also called Minium or Surik. Very poisonous. This color was popular historically, but is now more-or-less obsolete. Rublev carries this as an oil paint, and it is one of the few paints of theirs to contain an additive as it has a short shelf life (as in maybe several months) when made into oil paint, and the additive will extend the viability of the paint a bit.

This color is very toxic (Natural Pigments says to use utmost care to avoid exposures to this pigment- see their site for more details and as always be sure to do your own third party research). The dry pigment is reported to be surprisingly reactive, and light may blacken it. However it does seem that binding it in oil may have some sort of protective effect. Even in oil it may have some sensitivities to the environment and may also perform poorly in mixes, though we have not verified this.

More information on hazards from lead pigments can be found in the Artist's Guide to Health and Safety. Author Monona Rossol has updated work which can be found through her site.

Resources

Stats

Lightfastness

Poor

Extremely reactive, oil may help to mitigate this reactivity. However this is an unstable pigment.

Toxicity

Toxic

Red Lead is extremely toxic. Please do your own research on how to properly handle this pigment if you choose to use it. The consequences are extreme. We are not health and safety experts so please consult the manufacturer SDS as well as supplement with your own third party research.

Oil Content

Low

By volume, fairly low

Particle Size

Fine

Chemical Name

Lead Tetroxide

Dry Pigments listing PR105

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