Naples yellow
A historic synthetic yellow pigment once prized by painters and potters
Naples yellow is a man-made yellow pigment, first used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and later popular in European art from the 1600s. Its colour can shift from a soft, earthy yellow to a brighter, lighter yellow, and it was originally made from lead antimonate. The pigment was used in pottery, glass, and painting, but has mostly been replaced by newer yellows since the 1800s.
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- One of the oldest synthetic pigments, used since ancient Egypt
- Originally made from lead antimonate
- Popular in European painting from the 1600s to 1800s
- Also used in pottery, glass, and enamels
- Unstable in humid conditions and can darken over time
What colour is Naples yellow?
Naples yellow is a synthetic pigment that appears as a strong yellow, sometimes with subtle pink or off-white tones. Its shade can vary depending on how it is made, ranging from a gentle, muted yellow to a lighter, clearer yellow. The pigment is known for its good covering ability, which means it can hide other colours well. Its look can shift based on temperature during production, and different makers have produced several variations, including ones with a greenish or pinkish cast.
Where does Naples yellow come from?
The pigment was first created in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was used on glass, tiles, and pottery. Early colour writers once thought it came from Naples or the area around Mount Vesuvius, but it is now known to be a synthetic compound. The name 'Naples yellow' was first used in a Latin treatise by Andrea Pozzo in the late 1600s, and its English name appeared in 1738. The pigment was made from lead antimonate, a compound that required skilled chemical work to produce in early times.
How is Naples yellow made?
Naples yellow was traditionally made by heating lead oxide with antimony oxide, producing lead antimonate. The exact shade depended on the firing temperature. In the past, pure lead antimonate was used, but by the mid-1800s, most makers had stopped producing it this way. Today, what is sold as Naples yellow is often a blend of other pigments, such as ochre or titanium white, rather than the original formula.
Where Naples yellow is used
Before it became common in painting, Naples yellow was used to colour pottery, glazes, enamels, and glass. It was adopted by Italian potters for tin-glazed ceramics in the 1500s and later became popular with European painters from the 1700s to the mid-1800s. Artists such as Goya, Ingres, Delacroix, and Cézanne used it. Its use declined as new yellow pigments like chrome yellow and cadmium yellow became available.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
A crime novel or thriller is called a giallo, a yellow. The name comes from the yellow covers of a series of mysteries that Mondadori began publishing in 1929.
Danger and warningFearSource: GialloThe yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiShades and relatives of Naples yellow
There are several forms of Naples yellow, with shades that can lean greenish, pinkish, or orange. The pigment can change colour depending on how it is made and what it is mixed with. Over time, the name has also been used for other yellow pigments that are not true lead antimonate, leading to some confusion.
Colours that go with Naples yellow
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FADA5E. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Naples yellow
What colour is Naples yellow?
Naples yellow is a strong yellow pigment that can appear as a soft, muted yellow or a lighter, brighter yellow, sometimes with pink or off-white hints.
Where does the name Naples yellow come from?
The name was first recorded in a Latin treatise by Andrea Pozzo in the late 1600s as 'luteolum napolitanum', and appeared in English in 1738. Early writers thought it was linked to Naples, Italy.
What is Naples yellow made from?
It was originally made by heating lead oxide and antimony oxide to create lead antimonate. Today, the name is often used for blends of other yellow pigments.
Where was Naples yellow first used?
It was first used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia on glass, tiles, and pottery, and later became common in European painting and ceramics.
Why did artists stop using Naples yellow?
Naples yellow was replaced by newer, more stable yellow pigments like chrome yellow and cadmium yellow after 1800, as it can darken or change colour over time.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Naples yellow", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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