Roman Black is a single-pigment color comprised of a natural black earth; a dense, opaque, heavy color that is permanent. It is comparatively neutral in undertone and is non-greasy, when compared to carbon blacks. The composition of our Roman black earth consists of the minerals magnetite (iron oxide), calcite (calcium carbonate) and pyrolusite (manganese oxide). It comes from quarries in Verona, Italy, and is named after its use in frescos by ancient Roman artists.