Blue Lazuli

Who would have known this Dutch project would be so much work! You can just imagine, prior to the invention of the paint tube, the amount of preparation that was involved before even putting one stroke of paint on the canvas each day. Before tin tubes were manufactured in the 19th century artists ground the paint every day or two and put the mixture into pig bladders or skins.

A mound of paint was placed on the bladder or skin which was tied into a ball shape, and tied at the top with twine. A small tack-line piece of bone was inserted into the top to keep the paint as fresh as possible for as long as possible. The bladders were understandably fragile and did not keep the paint fresh for more than a couple of days; then the grinding process started all over again. Most artists had apprentices who daily made the paint for use in the studio. Early tube styles were very rigid with a piston at one one enabling refilling. A later modified style is the collapsible tube used today. Fortunately today, we are able to grind our paint way in advance and store in inexpensive and readily available aluminum tubes.

For my first grinding process I have chosen perhaps the most precious of pigments, lapis lazuli. It is the true ultramarine paint. According to Anita Albus in her book, The Art of Arts, the word oltra-marine is from the Latin and means literally, “from over the sea”. This spectacular blue color, as seen below, has been used since antiquity and is found in very few places in the world; Chili, Zambia, Siberia, and Afghanistan. The most beautiful stones are found in Afghanistan, one of the most inaccessible places on earth; thus the very high cost.

Cennino Cennini describes in his treatise, Il Libro dell’ Arte, how to make the pigment by crushing the stones in a water process called levigation. The particle sizes then separate in the water. The finest particles are used for the actual pigment. It is absolutely lightfast and permanent and, unfortunately, because of the cost went out of favor centuries ago. Next time you are wandering through a museum look at a painting done prior to 1700 or 1800 or so. Many times all the other colors have yellowed or altered in some way but the blue is rich and vibrant. Most likely it is lapis.

While on a two and a half month painting trip in Italy in the fall of 2003, Dave and I stayed in Florence our final week. A friend who lives there told me about Zecchi’s Art Supply, the oldest art store in Florence located near the Duomo. We spent two afternoons there roaming the store shelves. I bought many rare pigments and other supplies, the most special being a 50 gram jar of lapis pigment. It was outrageously expensive, costing about 42 Euros for each 10 grams, but as an artist it was irresistible. I have saved it over the past 3 years, not really knowing it would be used for this Dutch project. The step by step process of making lapis lazuli paint is described in the Daily Grind post with pictures. Does your heart do flip flops like mine does when you look at that astonishing color?