STANDARDS
Core Art Standards: VA2, VA9, VA11
CCSS: R2, R5, R9
Blue
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Earth is often called the blue planet. The oceans are radiant blue in the darkness of outer space. In cultures around the world, blue is associated with the heavens. It’s a color that can symbolize depression, as well as peace and loyalty. But no matter what blue says to you, one thing is certain: Blue pigment is rare and extremely valuable.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, 1831. Woodblock print. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Blue Revolution
In Japan, water is a symbol of purity and has always been an important subject for artists. Before the 1830s, artists used natural inks to make blue. The inks faded quickly, over time becoming dull yellow-brown and green.
In the 1830s, everything changed. Limited trade with the Dutch and Chinese brought a new synthetic pigment, called Prussian blue, to Japan from Europe. It allowed artists like Katsushika Hokusai (kat-soo-shee-kah hoh-kooseye), whose work is shown above, to create a variety of rich and durable shades of blue. The introduction of Prussian blue kicked off what contemporary scholars call the Blue Revolution.
To create the shimmering effect of moving water in The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, completed between 1830 and 1832, Hokusai uses Prussian blue and indigo. Notice how the two different blues add movement to the water.
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Polished lapis lazuli
The name ultramarine comes from the Italian word oltramarino, meaning “beyond the seas.” Transporting the pigment to Italy did involve a long journey. Ultramarine is made with lapis lazuli (LA-puhs LA-zuh-lee), a mineral compound found in a remote part of Afghanistan. Mining lapis lazuli is backbreaking work, and the process for transforming the raw material into ultramarine pigment is complicated. As a result, ultramarine is history’s most expensive pigment. At times it’s been worth more than pure gold!
Ultramarine comes from an Italian word that means “beyond the seas.” And the pigment did have a long journey to Italy. Ultramarine is made with lapis lazuli (LA-puhs LA-zuh-lee), a mineral found in Afghanistan. Mining lapis lazuli is hard work. Turning it into pigment is a complicated process. So ultramarine is history’s most expensive pigment. At times it’s been worth more than pure gold!
DeAgostini/Getty Images
Polished lapis lazuli
The name ultramarine comes from the Italian word oltramarino, meaning “beyond the seas.” Transporting the pigment to Italy did involve a long journey. Ultramarine is made with lapis lazuli (LA-puhs LA-zuh-lee), a mineral compound found in a remote part of Afghanistan. Mining lapis lazuli is backbreaking work, and the process for transforming the raw material into ultramarine pigment is complicated. As a result, ultramarine is history’s most expensive pigment. At times it’s been worth more than pure gold!
Ultramarine comes from an Italian word that means “beyond the seas.” And the pigment did have a long journey to Italy. Ultramarine is made with lapis lazuli (LA-puhs LA-zuh-lee), a mineral found in Afghanistan. Mining lapis lazuli is hard work. Turning it into pigment is a complicated process. So ultramarine is history’s most expensive pigment. At times it’s been worth more than pure gold!
Sassoferrato (1609-1685), The Virgin in Prayer, 1640-1650. Oil on canvas. The National Gallery.
Sacred Blue
In Renaissance Italy, many people considered ultramarine the finest blue available. Artists reserved the pigment for the Virgin Mary’s clothing in religious paintings like the example above, completed between 1640 and 1650 by Sassoferrato (sah-soh-fehr-AH-toh). The color symbolizes Mary’s religious importance.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
King Tut’s Blue Bug
The scarab—a large dung beetle—was sacred in ancient Egypt. Archaeologists found the pectoral, or necklace, above in the tomb of King Tutankhamen (too-tahn- KAH-muhn). The large piece of lapis lazuli at the center of the 3,000-year-old object shows the importance of the beetle and the king who wore it.
Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Girl with a Pearl Earring, 1665. Oil on canvas. The Mauritshuis.
Going Broke for Blue
Johannes Vermeer worked extremely slowly and was irresponsible with his resources—in particular his paint. For his iconic 1665 Girl with a Pearl Earring, above, Vermeer used so much ultramarine that he sent his family (which included his wife and 15 children!) into debt.
Courtesy of Mas Subramanian.
New Blue
For the first time in 200 years, a new blue pigment was discovered in 2009. A team of scientists at Oregon State University stumbled upon the new blue by chance. The group was working on new materials for electronics. Part of their process involved mixing, grinding, and heating chemicals. One day, a graduate student pulled samples of a mixture out of the furnace. The group was shocked by the vivid, intense blue.
The blue compound is formed from the elements yttrium (Y), indium (In), manganese (Mn), and oxygen. In honor of its chemical composition, the pigment is named YInMn (pronounced YIN-min) blue. The Environmental Protection Agency approved it for use in art materials in May 2020.
