Prussian Blue May-36

Curator: Here we have Prussian Blue manufactured by Fezandie & Sperrle, a company known for producing pigments, and dated May 1930. It’s part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's evocative, isn't it? That intense blue held captive in glass. It's more than just pigment; it feels like bottled emotion, a visual echo of depth and melancholy. Curator: Indeed. Prussian Blue itself has a fascinating history, emerging from accidental synthesis and quickly becoming vital. Its materiality revolutionized dyeing and painting due to its low cost and intensity. Editor: It’s interesting how that particular hue became synonymous with certain cultural and political contexts. From military uniforms to printing, blue gained powerful symbolic weight. Curator: Precisely. This jar hints at the industrial processes behind artistic creation, a reminder of the often-overlooked labor involved in providing artists with their materials. Editor: Seeing it alongside the color calibration card makes me wonder about the standardisation of colours, and what that might say about control. Curator: An insightful point. Hopefully, this close look has sparked your imagination about how even the most ordinary materials carry significant stories. Editor: Yes, it makes you appreciate the layers of history imbued within something as simple as a color.