How did ultramarine go from being more expensive than gold to one of the cheapest pigments for artists? Follow the journey of this vibrant blue color, ultramarine, one of the most celebrated and sought-after pigments in art.
Joanna Russell from the National Gallery’s Scientific Department looks at the use of ultramarine blue in The Wilton Diptych and Renoir’s Umbrellas. The Chemistry of Colour series explores some of the weird and wonderful ways pigments were historically produced, and how we can identify them today.
