During the 17th century, oil paint was made using a wide range of pigments, or coloring agents, that were ground into a paste and mixed with a binder, or medium, made from oil. Many of the pigments used during this time were derived from minerals and included earth pigments, such as ochre and umber, and metallic pigments, such as lead white and vermilion.

In addition to these natural pigments, artists also used a range of synthetic pigments, which were created through chemical reactions or manufactured from raw materials. These pigments included ultramarine, which was made from the mineral lapis lazuli, and carmine, which was made from the cochineal insect.

Oil paint was often mixed with other substances, such as resin or varnish, to create different effects and to improve the paint’s durability and longevity. The use of different pigments and additives allowed artists to create a wide range of colors and effects with oil paint, and contributed to the medium’s versatility and expressive potential.

During the 17th century, artists also began to use new pigments that had been recently discovered or developed. These pigments included Indian yellow, which was made from the urine of cows fed a diet of mango leaves, and Prussian blue, which was the first synthetic blue pigment and was created through a chemical reaction between iron and cyanide. The availability of these new pigments allowed artists to expand their color palettes and to create more vibrant and expressive paintings.