I am a fan of RGH’s cremnitz white and regularly use it in my paintings, Like their cremnitz white, RGH’s Flemish white is lead-based. Regular readers know that I only use lead-based whites in my oil paintings.
Flemish white is made with lead sulfate. There are many ways to make lead paint which is not surprising given that lead occurs naturally and lead compounds are also produced as a by-product of various chemical interactions. The most popular lead white is made with lead carbonate. Flemish white is so-called because Flemish and Dutch artists were known for using lead sulfate for their white. The best oil painting craftsmen of all time were the Netherlandish painters of the Dutch Golden Age and the French Academic artists of the 19th century. If lead sulfate is good enough for the Dutch, it’s good enough for me.
I like the RGH Flemish white. It handles more smoothly than RGH’s stiff cremnitz white without losing body. The photo above shows a small tube after a single session. I used a lot of white yesterday. Later, I’m ordering a 250 ml jar of Flemish white. Not only is the RGH paint first-rate, but it’s also more affordable than most competitors.
Here’s the unfinished painting–Come Along–that ate my Flemish white yesterday.
There are two forms of lead sulphate. I vaguely recall that one is tetrabasic and the other is tribasic but don’t quote me on that. Which one the Dutch used I can’t say. Another issue may be purity, as most contemporary lead sulphate is manufactured for plastic pipes, I think.
My understanding, although I have not tested these lead sulphate whites, is that carbonate is superior for painting which is why it remained dominant. I think it’s more chemically stable than the sulphate and also a cleaner white.