"Blue is the closest colour to truth.” — Steven Tyler, American artist

In the late European medieval and pre-modern times, artists were enchanted with an intense blue that coloured only the most important and luxurious court manuscripts or expensive paintings. This hue known as ‘ultramarine’ (derived from ultramarinus, a Latin term for ‘beyond the sea’) was derived from a semi-precious metamorphic rock called lapis lazuli that was found in the mines of Afghanistan.

Lapis took several months of arduous quarrying before disembarking at new destinations (India, Central Asia, Europe) where artists processed it into a rare and precious fine pigment. Once more esteemed than gold in the West to now being readily available in several shades, the story and journey of blue is as bit as fascinating as the incalculable artworks and objects it has embellished throughout the global history of art.

To look at the origins of blue, we must extend our curiosities far into history. The earliest blues originated in Western Asia but were perfected in Africa by the ancient Egyptians as ‘faience’. One of the earliest chemical techniques, faience was a glass-like ceramic material that comprised of silica, quartz, alkaline salts and lime. Copper was added to faience that resulted in a turquoise hue, giving rise to the term Egyptian blue, which was later known to Romans as cerulean. Spiritual objects created with faience, especially those with beautiful blue tones, were considered magical and reserved for the use of powerful Egyptian kings and queens that acted as earthly avatars of leading Egyptian deities.

Faience was used in the Indus Valley civilisation, contemporary with and geographically closer to the Egyptians. Pottery, human and animal figurines have been excavated from the sites of Mehrgarh and Harappa, dating as far back as 3,000 BCE. Blue beads were often conjoined with white and green pieces to create ornamental objects leading to a delightful culture of ceramics and glazing in the region.

Once more expensive than gold and coveted by artists and royalty around the world, the colour blue continues to enchant us today

In Asia, since before the eighth century, impure cobalt blue was used to decorate the finest Chinese porcelain. Such was the lure that the chemical compositions of the porcelain and blue were emulated (albeit through failed experiments) by the influential Medici family in 15th century Italy. In addition to China, other Asian countries including Pakistan and Japan are also homes to rich traditions of pottery that is glazed and hand-painted in wonderful hues of blue.

Many shades of blue adorned pottery and tiles from the Islamic lands that circulated widely in the European world. Subdued blue light reflected celestially from heavy glass-stained windows of majestic Gothic cathedrals in France and England between 1200 to 1400 CE. The Western Renaissance artist Raphael reserved deep blue for the Virgin Mary and Christ’s robes as the colour symbolised purity and faith. The Mannerist colourist Titian painted deep ultramarine skies and draperies on Greek mythical subjects.

Because of lapis lazuli’s extremely high price and complicated circulation, a synthetic brightly-coloured pigment was finally fashioned in Europe that supplanted the increasing need for the genuine lapis in the 19th century. Synthetic ultramarine was quickly commercialised as competitive chemical plants raced to create bulk quantities marketed all around Europe. Indigo, the natural plant-based dye found in India was also synthesised in the late 1800s, leading to a higher production and consumption of dyed fabrics in the region.

As a pigment, blue is versatile for experiments. The somber Prussian blue was widely used by Japanese artists in woodblocks. Katsushika Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ (1831) became renowned for its well-balanced colour palette. Blue continued to sway the artistic minds as almost a century later, French artist Yves Klein developed a shade of ultramarine that he dubbed ‘International Klein Blue’ (IKB). Klein’s blue paintings furthered the cause of formalism in modern art that advocated paintings to be enjoyed simply because of their vivid colours that contributed to their unending aesthetic appeal.

Right when we thought that all the blue hues on the spectrum had been discovered in the world, a new shade was recently discovered by accident. In 2009, an inorganic blue was created by chemist Mas Subramanian and his then student Andrew E. Smith at Oregon State University. Comprising of manganese, iridium and yttrium, the bright pigment trademarked as ‘YlnMn’ blue is now available as a non-toxic pigment for commercial use.

Today, blue comes in many tints, rendering innumerable objects and representing infinite personal and shared human experiences. Azurite and Egyptian blue artefacts captured the minds of our ancient predecessors, while ultramarine draperies represented divinity and even mystery in art. Midnight blue captivates our imagination and informs our individualistic fashion sensibilities as it glamourises and provokes; misty sky-blue calms those in distress. Blue is truly poignant, its journey mythical and its future boundless.

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 24th, 2021