Terre Verte

Description

Terre Verte is a natural, handmade single earth pigment produced through the ancient process of grinding raw green earth. Extracted from the Verona, Italy, this pigment has been prized since Roman times for its soft, gentle green tones and excellent stability.

Terre Verte is a 100% natural pigment, renowned for its subtle and naturalistic hues, making it an essential color for landscape and portrait painting. Historically favored for its ability to render lifelike shadows and flesh tones, this pigment is highly valued in fresco work and classical oil painting.

Compared to synthetic greens, Terre Verte offers unparalleled delicacy and harmony in mixtures. Its semi-transparent nature allows for soft layering, creating depth and dimension in paintings. It remains a vital pigment for artists seeking authentic historical tones and organic color transitions.

History

Terre Verte has been used as a pigment since antiquity, with evidence of its application in Roman frescoes and medieval manuscript illuminations. It was a staple in Renaissance painting, often employed in underpaintings for flesh tones in tempera and oil. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael utilized green earth to create naturalistic shading in portraiture. In the image pictured of 'The Manchester Madonna' by Michelangelo, Terre Verte is used extensively in the background and under the flesh tones to balance strong reds. 

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the pigment was particularly valued in Italy, where the finest deposits were extracted near Verona. Green earth was frequently used in the verdaccio technique, a method of underpainting that provided depth and lifelike qualities to skin tones. Its enduring popularity continued through the Baroque and Neoclassical periods, cementing its place as one of the most important natural greens in art history.

Today, Terre Verte is cherished by both classical and contemporary artists for its authenticity and historical significance, preserving its legacy as one of the oldest green pigments still in use.

Health and Safety

Precautions:
Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Do not consume.
Not for cosmetic or food usage.
Do not spray apply. 
For further health information contact a poison control center.
Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.
Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments. 
Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments. Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment. 
Wash hands immediately after use or handling. 
If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.
This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.
Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Mineral) from minerals (Celadonite and Glauconite) (Italy)  
Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic  
Lightfastness: Best  
Opacity: Semi-transparent  
Other Names: Verona Earth Green, Bohemian Green Earth, Green Ochre, Terra Verde, Prason
Color Index Code: PG23
Image: 'The Manchester Madonna' by Michelangelo from the National Gallery