Old Holland Violet grey is a tantalizing hue of rare beauty. We would buy many more tubes of it if it didn’t contain zinc. In fact we used to. (Perhaps someday Old Holland will make a series of their signature colors without zinc? We can only hope). If you do paint with zinc, this color is a stunner. Ever so slightly muted, it reminds us of the expertly chosen colors which are intentionally not at the highest chroma. This convenience hue makes even the palette itself look so much better, and the same can be true in paintings. The interaction between the green of the PG18 and the purple PV23 brings a nice quirky touch in addition to the blue Ultramarine. We know some people won’t paint with a mix that has 4 ingredients, however we’d like to consider just how much time this saves us from having to mix it ourselves. From the tube the color comes out perfect every time. A favorite for landscapes, sunrises, and swaths of pure color, this paint would have a high recommendation if not for the zinc. Of all the colors for which we wish we could see a zinc-free formulation, this is in the top three.