Blue lake

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Description

An unstandardized term that was used in the 17th century for a water soluble blue dye obtained from the Gummi lacrae tree (Harley 1982). The nonpermanent color was used for dyeing textiles. Blue lake has also been used to describe a weak solution of Prussian blue (Mayer 1969).

Synonyms and Related Terms

laque bleue (Fr.); laca azul (Esp.); lacca blu (It.)

Resources and Citations

  • Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
  • R.D. Harley, Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835, Butterworth Scientific, London, 1982