Did you know that blue was once more expensive than gold? It's surprisingly true! To create blue in the real world required a lot of sweat, risk, and travel. We'll be exploring that history today.

This episode was created and produced by Janine, a member of the IKB token collective, a decentralized community created in mid-2024, federated by a blockchain token.

📚 References & Further Reading

National Gallery (London), “Ultramarine” — history, making, and use
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/meaning-of-colours-in-western-art/ultramarine

Victoria & Albert Museum, “Blue: Ultramarine” — materials and trade
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/blue-ultramarine

The Met Museum Timeline of Art History, “Lapis Lazuli”
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lapi/hd_lapi.htm

Cennino Cennini, Il Libro dell’Arte (The Craftsman’s Handbook) — classic recipes for ultramarine (English trans. excerpts)
https://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Cennini/

Britannica, “Prussian blue” — discovery and properties
https://www.britannica.com/science/Prussian-blue

Musée des Arts et Métiers / CNAM, “Ultramarine, a synthetic pigment” (history of Guimet ultramarine)
https://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee/bleu-outremer-un-pigment-synthetique

Centre Pompidou, “The untold story of the International Klein Blue (IKB) of Yves Klein”
https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/pompidou-plus/magazine/article/the-untold-story-of-the-international-klein-blue-ikb-of-yves-klein

“Pigments through the Ages” (web archive of pigment histories)
http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/overview/ultramarine.html

Getty Conservation Institute, “The Color of the Sky: Ultramarine” (materials & conservation)
https://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications_resources/newsletters/15_3/ultramarine.html