Materials

Brian Lee

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Vermillion

• Spring, Marika, and Rachel Grout. “The Blackening of Vermilion: An Analytical Study of the Process in Paintings.” National Gallery Technical Bulletin 23 (2002): 50–61. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/media/15497/spring_grout2002.pdf.

Venetian Turpentine

In the strict botanical sense, Venetian (Venice) Turpentine is not a balsam but an oleoresin—the viscous exudate from the larch tree ( Larix decidua ) that contains both volatile “turpentine” oils and non-volatile resinous solids.

However, historical painting manuals and some suppliers have loosely grouped it with the balsams (especially Canada balsam), since it behaves similarly as a viscous, fixative-type medium in oil painting. For example, Rutherford Gettens and George Stout’s Painting Materials: A Short Encyclopedia actually lists Venice Turpentine under “balsams”, even though Frederic Hyde’s Solvents, Oils, Gums… treats it as a solvent—reflecting the overlap in practical use more than strict chemical classification (Natural Pigments, Darwin Price).

Why it Matters in Painting

• Oleoresin character

  • Contains both essential (volatile) oil and resinous (non-volatile) gum—so it thins and levels paint like a solvent, yet adds body and gloss like a resin.

• Use in mediums

  • Often added (sparingly) to linseed-oil mediums to improve flow, gloss, and adhesion—much as Canada balsam is used for glazing or varnishing.

• Aging considerations

  • Like most natural resins, it can yellow or embrittle over time, so it’s best used in the uppermost layers or mixed with more stable oils/varnishes.

Bottom Line

Venetian Turpentine is properly an oleoresin—not a true benzoic/cinnamic “balsam”—but in painting practice it’s often treated alongside balsams for its viscous, fixative properties.