studiobezoart reblogged
The beautiful blue of Madonna’s cloak was made using the pigment ultramarine, derived from the precious blue mineral lapis lazuli. Found exclusively in the mountains of northern Afghanistan, lapis had been laboriously mined by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans from early antiquity. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, it began to be ground into powder and made into ultramarine, quickly becoming the finest and most expensive pigment of them all. Also, be sure to visit Infinite Blue on the first floor which features works from our collection that track the use of the color blue throughout history.
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Workshop of Bernardino Luini (Italian, Milanese School, circa 1480-1532). Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels, mid-16th century. Brooklyn Museum
