Orpiment Pigment Genuine

Description

Genuine Orpiment is a brilliant golden-yellow pigment made from the natural mineral arsenic trisulfide. Its color ranges from rich lemon-yellow to deep golden orange, with a distinctive glow unmatched by most other pigments. When finely ground, it produces a smooth, opaque paint with strong covering power and warm undertones.

Unlike ochres or modern synthetic yellows, orpiment has a luminous, almost crystalline quality, making it prized historically despite its toxicity.

History

Orpiment has been known since antiquity. Ancient Egyptians used it in tomb paintings and artifacts, while in China and Central Asia it was a valued pigment for Buddhist manuscripts and wall paintings. In medieval Europe, orpiment was imported along the Silk Road, often labeled as a royal or imperial yellow because of its brilliance.

It appears in Renaissance painting as well, though sparingly, since its chemical instability made it incompatible with lead-based whites and certain other pigments. Despite these drawbacks, it remained important in illuminated manuscripts, panel painting, and decorative arts because no other yellow equaled its brilliance until the arrival of synthetic pigments like Chrome Yellow and Cadmium Yellow. In the pictured artwork "The Holy Family with a Shepherd" by Titian, Orpiment is used in the rich yellow of the shepherd's cloak.

Its use declined by the 19th century due to its toxicity and the availability of safer alternatives, but it continues to be studied and occasionally produced for conservation work and historically accurate reconstructions.

CONTAINS ARSENIC. WEAR P100 FULL FACE OR HALF FACE PLUS GOGGLES RESPIRATOR. DO NOT SWALLOW OR INHALE. WEAR GLOVES AND DO NOT ALLOW IT TO BE ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural Mineral

Chemical Composition: As₂S₃ (Arsenic Trisulfide)

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour, Lime / Fresco

Lightfastness: Excellent (when not chemically altered)

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Auripigmentum, King's Yellow (natural form), Yellow Arsenic

Color Index Code: PY39

Image: 'The Holy Family with a Shepherd' by Titian from the National Gallery