Difference between revisions of "Category:Prussian Blue: Ukiyo-e colorant"

Revision as of 22:32, 15 August 2024

Prussian blue ベロ藍 (bero-ai): The first modern synthetic pigment, Prussian blue was an accidental discovery made around 1704–6 by chemist Johann Jacob Diesbach with the help of alchemist Johann Conrad Dippel. Composed of ferric ferrocyanide, this synthetically produced pigment yields a vivid blue. Due to its high cost as an import from the West during the 1800s, it was used initially for paintings. By the end of the 1820s, this pigment was produced in China, thus making it affordable for use as a colorant for woodblock printing.

Prussian blue's bright, intense “true blue” color, fine particle size, and high tinting strength soon made it an indispensable addition to the printmaker’s palette, largely supplanting dayflower and indigo. This enabled an even, sharp printing as well as a greater range of tones especially when printing graduated color. It is thought that the introduction of this colorant into the printmaker’s palette stimulated Hokusai and Hiroshige to design the iconic landscape prints for which they are celebrated. Prussian blue is both lightfast and stable to moisture.

For additional information see: Prussian blue

Examples of Prussian blue in Ukiyo-e Prints


Pt : Printed Keisai Eisen, 11.25587


Pt 3: Printed Yanagawa Shigenobu I, 21.9254


Pt 4: Printed Torii Kiyomasu II, 58.343


Pt 4: Printed Torii Kiyomasu II, 58.343


Pt 4: Printed Torii Kiyomasu II, 58.343

Analysis

Fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) can easily identify the three blues: dayflower, indigo, and Prussian blue.

FORS spectrum of Dayflower reference
FORS spectrum of Indigo reference
FORS spectrum of Prussian blue reference

Images of Prussian blue

Prussian blue
Prussian blue at 100x
Prussian blue at 500x
Lumps of Prussian blue, by Takeo City Library
Printed Prussian blue
Prussian blue, by National Museum of American History
Prussian blue (audio), by Harvard Art Museums
Dr. Joe Schwarcz:The origins of Prussian blue (video), by Montreal Gazette
Prussian Blue -Make it then Paint it (video), by Chem Talk

List of Prints

Below is a list of prints where Prussian blue was detected.

Pages in category "Prussian Blue: Ukiyo-e colorant"

The following 12 pages are in this category, out of 12 total.

E

H

K

S

Shigenobu I, Urashima Tarô, from the series A Set of Five Examples of Longevity, 21.9254

T

Taito II, Court Lady and Pine Shoots, 21.9244

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;font-size:90%;text-align:center;width:15%"
-|[[File:dyed indigo.jpg|200px|link=]]
+|[[File:dyed indigo.jpg|200px|link=Eisen, Early Winter: The Day of the Boar in the Tenth Month, from the series Customs of the Four Seasons and Children at Play, 11.25587]]
 |-
 |
-[[File:Indigo FORS.JPG|200px]]<br>[[Harunobu, Beautiful Women of the Yoshiwara, Applying makeup (MFA 2006.1537.5)|Pt 4: Printed<br>Torii Kiyomasu II, 58.343]]
+[[File:Indigo FORS.JPG|200px]]<br>[[Eisen, Early Winter: The Day of the Boar in the Tenth Month, from the series Customs of the Four Seasons and Children at Play, 11.25587|Pt : Printed<br>Keisai Eisen, 11.25587]]
 |}
 {| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;font-size:90%;text-align:center;width:15%"
-|[[File:dyed indigo.jpg|200px|link=]]
+|[[File:21.9254-pt3-detail.png|200px|link=Shigenobu I, Urashima Tarô, from the series A Set of Five Examples of Longevity, 21.9254]]
 |-
 |
-[[File:Indigo FORS.JPG|200px]]<br>[[Harunobu, Beautiful Women of the Yoshiwara, Applying makeup (MFA 2006.1537.5)|Pt 4: Printed<br>Torii Kiyomasu II, 58.343]]
+[[File:Indigo FORS.JPG|200px]]<br>[[Shigenobu I, Urashima Tarô, from the series A Set of Five Examples of Longevity, 21.9254|Pt 3: Printed<br>Yanagawa Shigenobu I, 21.9254]]
 |}