In the natural world, blue rocks from which objects can be fashioned are rare - a few marbles, lapis-lazuli and related rocks, and minerals containing copper. However those which, once ground, can be used as pigments are exceptional. Only lapis-lazuli and azurite come to mind. The long absence of blues from the palettes of our distant ancestors is therefore easy to explain as is the fact that blue pigments have always been an expensive commodity which became the objects of a very lucrative trade, spanning continents and oceans.
The primary goal of this book is to show how much ingenuity man has needed to employ in order to make blue materials. From Egyptian blue to copper phtalocyanine, ranging through Maya and Han blues, smalt, blue ashes, Prussian blue and artificial ultramarine, we cannot help but be in awe of the variety of technical solutions found. Each civilization has produced its own solution, or sequence of solutions. Thus one can say that blue pigments can be considered as markers of civilizations.
By:
François Delamare
Imprint: Archetype Publications Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 245mm,
Width: 189mm,
Spine: 29mm
Weight: 863g
ISBN: 9781904982371
ISBN 10: 1904982379
Pages: 376
Publication Date: 01 January 2013
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Egyptian blue, the blue pigment of Mediterranean antiquity: From Egyptian hsbd iryt to Roman caeruleum Zaffre, smalt, bleu d'esmail and azure: Tribulations of Saxon cobalt Natural ultramarine: The essence of the blue pigment German azurite and English blue verditer : Favourite pigments of European painters Prussian blue: An unexpected destiny The discovery of Thenard’s (cobalt) blue: A time for scientists Guimet blue and artificial ultramarines: The dream comes true Copper phthalocyanines: A chance happily exploited Rediscovering forgotten blues The Rediscovery of Egyptian blue The Rediscovery of Han blue The Rediscovery of yax, the Maya blue Appendix Bibliography List of colorants, colours, minerals and blue pigments mentioned in the text
