How Rembrandt Used Lead-Tin Yellow in his Paintings

Art Lesson 38, Part 6

Discover how Rembrandt Used Lead-Tin Yellow in his Paintings

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How Rembrandt Used Lead-Tin Yellow in his Paintings

Lead-tin yellow plays an important role in Rembrandt’s paintings. Artists used this traditional pigment for centuries, up to the beginning of the 18th century.

In Belshazzar’s Feast, lead-tin yellow can be found in the embroidery on Belshazzar’s cape and in the lettering on the wall. In Saskia as Flora, the gold chain, background highlights, and the embroidered waistband are painted in this paint. Also, lead-tin yellow mixed with blue mineral azurite is present in opaque green passages.