Through his innovative use of color and light, Caravaggio transformed the landscape of 17th-century painting. His legacy, marked by a distinctive palette and a profound understanding of human emotion, continues to inspire and captivate audiences, making him a pivotal figure in the history of Western art.
Although "chiaroscuro" was practiced long before the 17th century, Caravaggio made the technique definitive, darkening the shadows and transfixing the subject in a blinding shaft of light. He achieved this effect with a limited palette typical of 17th-century painters: iron oxide earth colors, a few mineral pigments, carbon or bone black, and verdigris. Earth pigments predominated, and brighter colors were always veiled.
Caravaggio's palette was a testament to his pioneering approach, comprising a relatively limited yet highly impactful range of colors. Central to his palette were earth tones, which were the bedrock of the Baroque school's inclination towards realism and emotional depth.
Colors of Caravaggio's Palette (Equivalent Color in Rublev Colours Artists Oil Paint):
Lead White (Lead White #1 Oil Paint)
Lead-Tin Yellow (Lead-Tin Yellow Oil Paint)
Yellow Ocher (Blue Ridge Yellow Ocher Oil Paint)
Verdigris (Viridian Oil Paint)
Vermilion (Cadmium Red Light Oil Paint)
Red Ocher (Venetian Red Oil Paint)
Umber (Cyprus Raw Umber Medium Oil Paint)
Bone Black (Bone Black Oil Paint)
Cadmium Red Light Artist Oil Paint
High-Quality, Professional Oil Paint 50 ml tube
Cadmium Red Light is a highly saturated, orange red with excellent lightfastness. This is opaque red features very high tinting strength and moderate drying properties.
Composition and Permanence
Cadmium Red Light
Color: Red
Binder: Linseed oil
Additive(s): None
Pigment Information
Pigment: Cadmium Red
Pigment Classification: Synthetic inorganic
Colour Index: Pigment Red 108 (77202)
Chemical Name: Cadmium Sulfoselenide
Chemical Formula: CdS,CdSe
CAS No. 58339-34-7
Properties
Code: 542
Series: 7
Opacity: Opaque
Tinting Strength: High
Drying Rate: Medium
ASTM Lightfastness: I
Safety Information: Based on toxicological review, there are no acute or known chronic health hazards with the anticipated use of this product. Always protect yourself against potentially unknown chronic hazards of this and other chemical products by avoiding ingestion, excessive skin contact, and inhalation of spraying mists, sanding dusts, and concentrated vapors. Contact us for further information or consult the MSDS for more information.
California Proposition 65: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
WARNING! Contains Cadmium Compound Classified by IARC as probably carcinogenic in humans. Avoid breathing dust, mists or spray. Do not sand. Keep out of reach of children. Contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer by means of inhalation.
Cadmium pigments are extremely insoluble compounds of calcined cadmium zinc sulphide and cadmium sulpho-selenide. Cadmium pigments are universally compatible and are recommended for high performance applications where thermal stability, chemical stability and weatherfastness are critical parameters. The level of cadmium solubility is tightly controlled to ensure compliance with: Council of Europe Resolution AP (89) 1 Food Contact Limits; USA TCLP Waste Leaching Limits; Safety of Toys Directive 88/378/EEC (EN71: Part 3 relates to finished toy compliance). Cadmium pigments are registered as non-hazardous substances under REACH in 2013 and are regulated under Annex XVII of the REACH legislation (1907/2006).
Notes
Some 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 in this web site are only approximations of the actual color of the oil paint. We have taken every care to match the color in these pictures on calibrated color monitors to the actual color. However, because of the wide variance in color monitors the results you get may vary.
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 mil (0.006 inch) thickness applied to a standard test card for the purposes of examining color consistency, opacity, and other qualities. The drawdowns show the color 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.