Mercadium Red
PR113
Alternate Names
Cadmium Vermilion Red Light
Medium or Deep
Pigment Description
Mercadium Red. An extinct pigment which deserves a side note as a super-lightfast red. It seems to be surprisingly Toxic (Artiscreation lists it as their most extreme rating, a D meaning, "Extremely Toxic, only attempt working with these pigments (especially the dry form) in laboratory like conditions with proper safety equipment " which frankly sounds scary. More information on cadmium and mercury can be found in the Artist's Guide to Health and Safety on pigments containing cadmium and mercury (and possibly barium depending on the formulation). Author Monona Rossol’s updated work can be found through her site.
Extinct Mercadmium Red (copreciptated with Barium Sulfate), PR113:1. bound in oils
While cadmium reds have excellent lightfastness in general, this one is famous for having even more lightfastness in a test of extended light exposure done by Virgil Elliott.
Mercadmium Red, PR113:1
At one time Vasari offered this as a color, which they called Cadmium Vermilion Red Light, however they no longer carry it on their site.
Mercadmium Barium Red, bound in oils, PR113:1
There are several vintage versions of Mercadmium Red, PR113 and Mercadmium Barium Red PR113:1. For example, Permanent Pigments made what appears to be PR113:1 into oils, and Liquitex also made PR113.
Permanent Pigments Cadmium-Vermilion (Barium) Red, Light
Vintage Liquitex Cadmium Vermilion Red Light
Resources
PR113 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com,
Elliott, Virgil. Traditional Oil Painting. Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, 2019. https://amzn.to/4nwIdzq,
Information about PR113 isofar as it is a cadmium from Handprint but bear in mind it also contains mercury,
Vasari Classic Artists' Oil Colors (n.d., page from 2016, July 7). Cadmium Vermilion Red Light https://web.archive.org/web/20160707032626/http://vasaricolors.com/collections/red-violet/products/cadmium-vermilion-red-light. Internet Archive. Vasari Classic Artists' Oil Colors,
Rossol, Monona. The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide. New York, NY : Allworth Press, 2001. The book is rather dated, updated information is available from her website.
Stats
Lightfastness
Excellent, protect from moisture
Virgil Elliott’s long-term window tests showed that this unusual variation of cadmium red retained its color after many years in the sun. Cadmium reds in general have excellent lightfastness and this one was even more enduring than PR108s. In the 1980s when this color was still more widely available, the NPIRI included it in their report. In the outdoor Florida exposures (exposed to moisture) they noted “appreciative” color change in both masstone and tints. Indoor performance was excellent.
Transparency
Opaque
Toxicity
Extremely Toxic. Cadmium, Mercury
This has the most severe warning from artiscreation. He ascribes a D to this pigment meaning its toxicity is extreme and it is so toxic that it should only be worked with in a laboratory setting with the proper safety protocols. We are not experts in health and safety so please supplement this with your own third party research and manufacturer SDS information.
Chemical Name
Concentrated cadmium mercury sulfide (CC) with 15% or less barium sulfate
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