Blue as gold

Detail

Created from the gemstone lapis lazuli, the rarity of ultramarine blue afforded it a higher price than gold. Artists used this precious pigment to venerate divine subjects: Gods, Kings, and the most prized personal idols.

Blue has become such an icon of wealth and rule that it has gained its own currency- we see blue worn ‘as gold’ by leaders and status-seekers today. Enjoy this rich history of colour via two powerful forces: Impressionism and Japanese Print. When Monet’s water-lilies met Hokusai’s Great Wave, the values of art changed forever.