The Perverse Twists of History
Crusher
century, we note the lack of intense blue in any of the paintings. The blue
the artists used is "ultramarine," still in use in a synthetic form because
of the considerable cost of the original. At the time ultramarine was as
expensive as gold, which explains its near abscence in paintings of other
than royal subjects, and why blue is considered "royal."
"Real" ultramarine blue was (and still is) made from powdered lapis lazuli,
a semiprecious stone. Restorers and those emulating early masters still use
it. A tube the size of your index finger costs $57. Jewels (similar to
sapphires) made from the mineral were worn by the pharoahs, and the mineral
has been continuously mined in the same area for some seven thousand years.
Just imagine how extensive the mined areas must be after all that time. And
guess where that area is!
The northeastern mountains of Afghanistan. And now you also know why Ben
Laden has been so difficult to find. He isn't hiding in caves; he's hiding
in the undoubtedly huge abandoned parts of those mines.
Isn't history wonderful!
--Bob--
david
stated...
> Isn't history wonderful!
>
> --Bob--
>
>
>
hey, kewl! thanks for sharing that. i never realized how much history was
involved in the color blue and how it affects our lives today in other
ways. great piece of history... :)
--
_____
david
Jean B.
Tha's fascinating, Bob! I never knew that about ultramurine
blue and can only assume I used some synthetic version,
because I don't recall its being hideously expensive. Next
time I'm in an art supply store, I'm going to have to look
around. It sounds like they might keep the real stuff in a
locked case....
And that is an interesting twist too. Sounds like "And now
you know the REST of the story". I am momentarily blanking on
who does that....
--
Jean B.
Geno0123
"Geno0123" <franc...@fuse.net> wrote in message
news:804ab$43cd4fc9$d8442acc$25...@FUSE.NET...
>
> "Geno0123" <franc...@fuse.net> wrote in message news:...
>>
>> "Jean B." <jb...@rcn.com> wrote in message
>> news:434ileF...@individual.net...
>>
>>
>> Natural Ultramarine
>> Ultramarine is famous for having been the most expensive pigment. It was
>> more expensive than gold during the Renaissance. First used in 6th
>> century Afghanistan, the pigment found its most extensive use in 14th and
>> 15th century illuminated manuscripts and Italian panel paintings, often
>> reserved for the cloaks of Christ and the Virgin.
>>
>> Synthetic Ultramarine
>>
>> Synthetic ultramarine is one of the best-documented pigments of the
>> nineteenth century probably because its invention was requested of
>> chemists and not the result of their independent research. Ultramarine,
>> genuine made from the semi-precious gem lapis lazuli was so costly in the
>> nineteenth century that artists infrequently used it. The hue is a
>> necessary component in a balanced palette of warm and cool colors;
>> without it a cool, deep blue is lacking.
>>
>> The beginning of the development of ultramarine blue, artificial was
>> known from Goethe. In about 1787, he observed the blue deposits on the
>> walls of lime kilns near Palermo in Italy. He was aware of the use of
>> these glassy deposits as a substitute for lapis lazuli in decorative
>> applications. He did not, however, mention if it was suitable to grind
>> for a pigment. The blue deposits were also taken from the Saint Gobain
>> glassworks by M. Tessäert who found them in a soda furnace. Tessäert was
>> reportedly the first to suggest to the Societé d'Encouragement pour
>> L'Industrie Nationale that a method for making a synthetic ultramarine
>> should be investigated. He gave his blue samples to Vauquelin. In 1814,
>> Vauquelin published his findings that the blue masses were similar in
>> composition to the costly lapis lazuli in the Annales de Chimie LXXXIX,
>> "Note sur une couleur bleue artificiale analogue a l'outremer". In 1824,
>> the Societé d'Encouragement offered a prize of six thousand francs to
>> anyone who could produce a synthetic variety not to exceed three hundred
>> francs per kilo. The prize was not awarded for four years because all
>> that was submitted to them were imitations based on cobalt or Prussian
>> blue without regard for the analysis of the gem which was published in
>> 1806 by Désormes and Clément. On February 4, 1828, the prize was awarded
>> to Jean Baptiste Guimet who submitted a process he had secretly developed
>> in 1826. Guimet's ultramarine was sold for four hundred francs per pound.
>> In Paris a short while later, lapis lazuli cost between three to five
>> thousand francs per pound at that time. Independent of Guimet, Christian
>> Gottlob Gmelin, a professor of chemistry at the University of Tubingen
>> discovered a slightly different method based on the analytical results of
>> Désormes and Clément which he published only one month after Guimet.
>> Gmelin claimed that he beat Guimet and a rivalry ensued for years but
>> France upheld Guimet's right to the prize. By about 1830, Guimet's
>> ultramarine was being produced at a factory that he opened in
>> Fleurieu-sur-Sâone, France. F. A. Köttig at the Meissen porcelain works
>> in Germany was producing Gmelin's method by 1830 as well.
>>
>> French ultramarine blue was non-toxic and as permanent as the natural
>> variety but darker and less azure. It was prepared in both oil and
>> watercolor. In oil it dried well despite a high percentage of oil needed
>> for grinding and in watercolor produced clean washes.
>>
>>
>
>
Crusher
>> Laden has been so difficult to find. He isn't hiding in caves; he's
>> hiding in the undoubtedly huge abandoned parts of those mines.
>>
>> Isn't history wonderful!
>>
>> --Bob--
>
> REST of the story". I am momentarily blanking on who does that....
>
> --
> Jean B.
Paul Harvey.
--Bob--
Jean B.
> "Jean B." <jb...@rcn.com> wrote:
>
>>Crusher wrote:
>>>The northeastern mountains of Afghanistan. And now you also know why Ben
>>>Laden has been so difficult to find. He isn't hiding in caves; he's
>>>hiding in the undoubtedly huge abandoned parts of those mines.
>>>
>>>Isn't history wonderful!
>>>
>>>--Bob--
>>
>>And that is an interesting twist too. Sounds like "And now you know the
>>REST of the story". I am momentarily blanking on who does that....
>>Jean B.
>
>
> Paul Harvey.
> --Bob--
>
Now I am mentally kicking myself. I hate it when that
happens. I could only think of Charles Osgood, and I KNEW
THAT wasn't right. Thanks!
--
Jean B.