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Naples Yellow
#FADA5E · click to copy
Warm
HEX
#FADA5E
RGB
250, 218, 94
CMYK
0%, 13%, 62%, 2%
Pigment
PBr24, PY42
Lightfastness
Excellent (I) — modern synthetic; Poor for historical lead antimonate
Moods & Keywords
yellow
warm
soft
ancient
renaissance
pale
lead
historical
opaque
warm
yellow
Pigment & Material
PBr24, PY42
Synthetic
Lead antimonate (Pb₂Sb₂O₇). Warm and slightly chalky — unique among yellows for its muted, creamy quality.
Origin & History
Naples yellow has been used since at least 1400 BCE in Egyptian faience and Babylonian glass. European artists began using it extensively in the 17th century — it appears in works by Vermeer, Velázquez, and Tiepolo. The name "Naples" may derive from its trade through the Italian city, or from the Latin "naplum" (mineral).
Also Known As
Giallolino
Lead Antimonate Yellow
Jaune de Naples
Antimongelb
Psychology
Warm, classical, and refined. Naples yellow is the yellow of aged ivory, Mediterranean sunlight, and old gold. Unlike the assertiveness of cadmium yellow, it is gentle and accommodating — a background yellow rather than a statement colour. It has a nostalgic, timeless quality.
In Culture
One of the defining colours of European Baroque and Rococo painting — Tiepolo's ceiling frescoes glow with Naples yellow light. It remains associated with classical European painting tradition. In contemporary interiors, Naples yellow is considered a "quiet luxury" neutral — warm without being garish.
Natural Sources
Historical Naples yellow is lead antimonate (Pb₂Sb₂O₇) — a synthetic compound known since ancient Egypt, made by heating lead and antimony compounds together. It is one of the earliest synthetic pigments. No natural mineral equivalent exists, though the mineral bindheimite is structurally related.
Making It Yourself
Historical (do NOT attempt — toxic):
Heat lead oxide with antimony oxide at 800°C — produces lead antimonate yellow.
Safe modern equivalent:
Mix titanium white with yellow ochre and a touch of raw sienna — produces a convincing Naples yellow tone.
Commercially: purchase modern Naples yellow (PBr24 + PW6) — safe and lightfast.
Heat lead oxide with antimony oxide at 800°C — produces lead antimonate yellow.
Safe modern equivalent:
Mix titanium white with yellow ochre and a touch of raw sienna — produces a convincing Naples yellow tone.
Commercially: purchase modern Naples yellow (PBr24 + PW6) — safe and lightfast.
Art Movements
Renaissance
Baroque
Rococo
Neoclassicism
Famous Works
The Rokeby Venus
Diego Velázquez, c.1647–1651
A Young Woman Standing at a Virginal
Johannes Vermeer, c.1670
Madame de Pompadour
François Boucher, 1756
Available As
Winsor & Newton — Naples Yellow (PBr24)
Old Holland — Naples Yellow Light
Rembrandt — Naples Yellow Deep
Daniel Smith — Naples Yellow Hue
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Colour data compiled with AI. Spot an error or have more to add? Leave a Note — ekphra reviews and updates.
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