Manufacture of basic lead carbonate by the “stack” or Old Dutch process, showing
corroded white lead.
photo courtesy Natural Pigments, Inc.
F
or centuries white lead was made by a fairly simple
corrosion process. Metallic lead was suspended in
earthenware vessels over vinegar. A large number of these
were stacked one above another, upon a bed of manure,
in a chamber that was closed up for a period of time: the
so-called “stack” (also “Dutch”) process. After a series of
chemical reactions took place, the stack was taken down
and the white pigment was collected.
White lead production by the Old Dutch process ceased
in the 20th century. White lead artists’ oil colors are still
available, typically under the name Flake White, but the
pigment made the old way had some interesting qualities
the modern method does not. Old Dutch white lead
contains particles of different sizes and shapes and this
affects how the paint flows under the brush.
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE