What a lovely article. I read it this morning while sitting in my dove-blue kitchen, eating my breakfast from a white plate edged with cobalt blue on a faded-to-slate-blue placemat, looking outside at a cloudless sky through the crabbed bare branches of the horse chestnut tree.
I could go on. I won’t, except to say that the color blue fills me with rapture, as does this article. I’m not a visual artist, so I wouldn’t have been able to identify the pigment used in ukiyo-e as Prussian Blue, or understand its meaning in history or its chemical composition.
Thank you once again, Jeffrey, for a wonderful read.
Thank you so much, Mary! I'm glad to hear that this post found a visual echo in your life. This kind of exhibition is so precious to me, not only to enjoy the beauty of the works but also for the clues about how our world took shape that are strewn throughout the story of this pigment. I floated out of the museum...
Blue is my favorite color too and I love Hiroshige’s blues. Coincidentally, I’ve been wondering about a blue used in a style of South Indian gilded painting. It’s not a color but an emotion.
“Like a link to your past”! My mother still at 80 unequivocally declares blue her favourite colour as if it were a fact that people should know. I wonder how we all paint colours of our memories. Very cool exhibit and details about the pigmentation.
Mesmerizing prose like the blues described. I have always wondered about those blue in Hiroshige prints and it is a fascinating history. As always you expand my awareness of the world. Thank you.
What a silky dive into blue. The Picasso museum in Barcelona exhibits his “blue period,” conveying a deep sense of grief and loss, but these paintings by Hiroshge feel more uplifting, almost energizing. What a bold move he made to incorporate this color, when it seems traditionally Japanese art tended toward neutrals? Correct me if I’m wrong. Thank you such an illuminating piece!
Thank you, Kimberly! I agree about the energy. Certainly the blues used before tended to be less vibrant, though I think red was bolder. I'm so glad you enjoyed this!
Thank you for this lesson in Hiroshige blue, which is quite stunning in these paintings. I imagine it was hard to exit a room with such art on the walls. My valley also has floating hills in the distance. They keep us from sliding off the earth, don’t they? I would slide to a room of Hiroshige seascapes.
Thank you, Tara. I love your notion of floating hills keeping us from sliding off the earth 😊. I'll probably go back to the exhibition because there's a second part...
There are stunning Whistlers in The Freer Gallery in DC--and his astonishing Peacock Room. Speaking of blue, note how it pops in movies and TV shows, and how it can appear more than one ever sees it in nature.
Gorgeous survey of ukiyo-e and Hiroshige's "blue period." ;) Such a great influence on many of our most beloved Western artists (Van Gogh among them) and movements (Impressionsims and Art Nouveau.) Beautifully done, Jeffrey!
That was a beautiful article Jeffrey, thank you for writing of Hiroshige's blue in such wonderful and informative prose. Of all the plants in my garden I grow, the Commelina communis grows without the least intervention, spreading its blue flowers every morning everywhere I don't want them but love them anyway and that was before I knew it could be used as pigment for blue paint.💙
Lovely story, Jeffrey. The Ota is one of the very few museums in Tokyo where we can enjoy great art at affordable prices. The Hokusai Museum is also interesting, I'm sure you have been there too.
Every time I see an ukiyo-e print, I wish I could have seen Tokyo in those days.
Ah, to Prussian or Aquamarine blue, that is the question. Thank you for this little history lesson on Hiroshige and Prussian blue, the latter of which I did not know how it got its name! I could really fall into a world where every color with art representations is celebrated!
What a lovely article. I read it this morning while sitting in my dove-blue kitchen, eating my breakfast from a white plate edged with cobalt blue on a faded-to-slate-blue placemat, looking outside at a cloudless sky through the crabbed bare branches of the horse chestnut tree.
I could go on. I won’t, except to say that the color blue fills me with rapture, as does this article. I’m not a visual artist, so I wouldn’t have been able to identify the pigment used in ukiyo-e as Prussian Blue, or understand its meaning in history or its chemical composition.
Thank you once again, Jeffrey, for a wonderful read.
Thank you so much, Mary! I'm glad to hear that this post found a visual echo in your life. This kind of exhibition is so precious to me, not only to enjoy the beauty of the works but also for the clues about how our world took shape that are strewn throughout the story of this pigment. I floated out of the museum...
Blue is my favorite color too and I love Hiroshige’s blues. Coincidentally, I’ve been wondering about a blue used in a style of South Indian gilded painting. It’s not a color but an emotion.
Thank you, Priya! Those emotional blues sound intriguing!
“Like a link to your past”! My mother still at 80 unequivocally declares blue her favourite colour as if it were a fact that people should know. I wonder how we all paint colours of our memories. Very cool exhibit and details about the pigmentation.
Thank you, Kate! I like your idea of painting colours of our memories.
Mesmerizing prose like the blues described. I have always wondered about those blue in Hiroshige prints and it is a fascinating history. As always you expand my awareness of the world. Thank you.
Thank you, Leslie! When I saw the poster for the exhibition, I knew I had to go, to enjoy and also learn.
What a silky dive into blue. The Picasso museum in Barcelona exhibits his “blue period,” conveying a deep sense of grief and loss, but these paintings by Hiroshge feel more uplifting, almost energizing. What a bold move he made to incorporate this color, when it seems traditionally Japanese art tended toward neutrals? Correct me if I’m wrong. Thank you such an illuminating piece!
Thank you, Kimberly! I agree about the energy. Certainly the blues used before tended to be less vibrant, though I think red was bolder. I'm so glad you enjoyed this!
Thank you for this lesson in Hiroshige blue, which is quite stunning in these paintings. I imagine it was hard to exit a room with such art on the walls. My valley also has floating hills in the distance. They keep us from sliding off the earth, don’t they? I would slide to a room of Hiroshige seascapes.
Thank you, Tara. I love your notion of floating hills keeping us from sliding off the earth 😊. I'll probably go back to the exhibition because there's a second part...
I look forward to the essay the second part inspires, Jeffrey.
Beautiful paintings, beautiful blue!
Thank you, Yi!
There are stunning Whistlers in The Freer Gallery in DC--and his astonishing Peacock Room. Speaking of blue, note how it pops in movies and TV shows, and how it can appear more than one ever sees it in nature.
I'd love to see those Whistlers. And yes, sometimes artificial blueness can seem to compete with the real thing.
Gorgeous survey of ukiyo-e and Hiroshige's "blue period." ;) Such a great influence on many of our most beloved Western artists (Van Gogh among them) and movements (Impressionsims and Art Nouveau.) Beautifully done, Jeffrey!
Thank you, Troy! I feel lucky to get the chance to see an exhibition like this. I felt I should share the beauty!
Wow, I love that comparison between the Whistler and the Hiroshige!
Thank you, Katherine. Yes, it's lovely to see see them next to each other.
That was a beautiful article Jeffrey, thank you for writing of Hiroshige's blue in such wonderful and informative prose. Of all the plants in my garden I grow, the Commelina communis grows without the least intervention, spreading its blue flowers every morning everywhere I don't want them but love them anyway and that was before I knew it could be used as pigment for blue paint.💙
Thank you, Susie. They are beautiful aren't they? I'm glad to hear that you enjoy them in your garden.
I enjoyed reading this - and the images are wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you for reading and for commenting!
So lovely, Jeffrey. I can actually remember the first time I ever saw Prussian blue and how mesmerising it was...
Thank you, Chloe. It's a very special colour, isn't it? It seems to pigment the memory forever.
Yes! David and I actually bonded over our appreciation of it in the early days of our romance :) It certainly has a magic to it...
That's a lovely story!
Gorgeously blue.
Thank you, June!
Lovely story, Jeffrey. The Ota is one of the very few museums in Tokyo where we can enjoy great art at affordable prices. The Hokusai Museum is also interesting, I'm sure you have been there too.
Every time I see an ukiyo-e print, I wish I could have seen Tokyo in those days.
Thank you, Gianni! Yes, it makes one want to go back in time...
Ah, to Prussian or Aquamarine blue, that is the question. Thank you for this little history lesson on Hiroshige and Prussian blue, the latter of which I did not know how it got its name! I could really fall into a world where every color with art representations is celebrated!
Thank you, Lani! I'm grateful to the curators for putting this show together. It was a great chance to focus on one colour!