Ultramarine Blue 1925

Curator: Here we have "Ultramarine Blue," produced by Wadsworth, Howland & Co. around 1925. It's a fascinating example of how the commercial production of materials shapes artistic expression. Editor: My first thought is, wow, what a vibrant pigment! It's so intensely blue, like looking into a deep, clear ocean. Curator: Ultramarine, historically derived from lapis lazuli, was highly prized. Its artificial production democratized its use. Think about the changing accessibility of color in art history! Editor: Yes, this blue, freed from its mineral origins, now carries a more industrial connotation. It’s like bottled potential, full of creative possibilities waiting to be unlocked. Curator: Exactly! This single bottle contains within it the story of artistic materials, and the changing art world in the early 20th century. Editor: It makes me think of Yves Klein and his obsession with ultramarine. He saw something sublime in that blue that went beyond the material.