Pigment Colour Index: Blue Pigments - Jackson's Art Blog

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Throughout history, blue has been one of the most sought-after artist pigments. It occurs infrequently in nature, and the first blue pigments were made from minerals like azurite and lapis lazuli, a process that was labour intensive. The Ancient Egyptians were the first to synthesize a blue pigment, Egyptian Blue, the recipe for which has since been lost. During the Middle Ages, Lapis Lazuli was exported from Afghanistan to Europe via the Silk Road, and it became the most important blue pigment of the Rennaissance. It was highly expensive and was reserved for the most important figures in a painting, which is why Western cultures usually associate the Virgin Mary with the colour blue. The 18th Century saw the development of Prussian and Cerulean Blue, followed by Cobalt Blue in the early 19th Century. In 1826 Ultramarine Blue, a synthetic pigment that is chemically identical to lapis lazuli, was created. It is extraordinary that what was once the most expensive colour has become one of the most widely available. Here is a guide to the blue pigments used in artist paints today according to the Pigment Colour Index, identified by the prefix PB. Find out more about the Colour Index