Ultramarine Blue
A lustrous blue pigment made by intensively grinding, sifting, and rinsing lapis lazuli, ultramarine was once a valuable colorant. Its name comes from a phrase meaning “beyond the sea”—indicating the costly distance that raw materials had to be imported. Early modern artists reserved ultramarine for special purposes, like painting the Virgin Mary’s blue robes.
Since ultramarine was so expensive to produce, a competition was held in the 19th century to create a synthetic version. The new solution remains a mainstay on paint palettes today.
Sassoferrato’s striking use of ultramarine for
The Virgin in Prayer (ca. 1654 CE) instills a
sense of awe in viewers.
Public domain