{"id":1502710,"date":"2022-10-07T11:59:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T10:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1502710"},"modified":"2026-05-06T15:45:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:45:39","slug":"the-history-of-prussian-blue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/07\/the-history-of-prussian-blue\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of Prussian Blue (and why you won’t find it in most acrylic ranges)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prussian Blue (pigment index number PB27) is a deep and inky colour. Its influence can be seen across art history– it is the characteristic pigment of Picasso’s Blue Period, it was a favourite among the painters of the Baroque and Rococo periods, and it is the colour that is produced in the cyanotype process (thus giving us the term ‘blueprint’). This article looks at the intriguing history of the colour, its use in Japanese printmaking, and why acrylic painters are hard-pressed to find a genuine Prussian Blue paint.<\/p>\n

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The History of Prussian Blue<\/h2>\n

Prussian Blue was created by accident in 1704. There are varying accounts as to the exact story behind the colour, but the most interesting is from German physician Georg Ernst Stahl (1659\u20131734). He says that a pigment maker in Berlin named Diesbach was making a batch of a Red Lake pigment using potash, crushed cochineal insects, and iron sulfate. Having run out of potash, he went to local pharmacist Johann Konrad Dippel to purchase some more. Dippel, possibly looking to fleece Diesbach, sold him potash that was contaminated with dried cattle blood. When Diesbach tried to make his red pigment, it made a deep blue pigment instead. Dippel knew that it was his adulterated potash that had caused this reaction and saw a business opportunity, so they conducted further experiments and commercialised the colour under the name Berlin Blue. Dippel and Diesbach kept the composition of the pigment a close secret, but unfortunately for them an English chemist reverse-engineered it in 1724 and published the formulation. With his source of income all but gone, Dippel left Berlin, but his enterprising didn\u2019t stop there. He claimed he had discovered an elixir of life and tried to buy a castle in exchange for it (an offer that was rejected). Rumours spread accusing him of grave-robbing, experimenting with cadavers, and being in league with the devil. Some even theorise that he inspired Mary Shelley\u2019s Frankenstein<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Putting aside its rather intriguing origin story, Prussian Blue was an extremely important pigment development. It was the first synthetic blue pigment to be invented since the ancient Egyptians invented Egyptian Blue. The next big developments– Cobalt Blue and synthetic Ultramarine Blue– came more than a century later.<\/p>\n

Prussian Blue in Japanese Printmaking<\/h2>\n

While Prussian Blue was enthusiastically adopted by European easel painters, it was Japanese artists who arguably made best use of its tonal capabilities. It took centre-stage in 19th century Japan through the aizuri-e style of woodblock printing, in which the image is printed predominantly in blue. Aizuri-e had traditionally used indigo ink, but Prussian Blue was found to be more lightfast and more rich in colour. Its particular suitability for this mono-pigment technique hinges on its capability of a range of tonal values, and we can find this in the work of many Japanese artists of the Edo period. The most famous in Europe is undoubtedly Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) His series 36 Views of Fuji<\/em> are made almost entirely with Prussian Blue ink.<\/p>\n

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Katsushika Hokusai
Lake Suwa in Shinano Province (Shinsh\u016b Suwako)<\/em>, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanj\u016brokkei)<\/em>, 1830-1832
Woodblock print on paper, 26.2 x 38.7 cm | 10.3 x 15.2 in
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York<\/a><\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As exemplified in the above print, it could be applied in thin, transparent layers to the block for graduating washes of light blue that give an impression of looking into the hazy distance, but it was equally adept for dark passages of colour that are near black, like we see on the tip of Mount Fuji and the figures in the foreground. Even just using one colour, it gives an overall impression of depth and a full tonal range.<\/p>\n

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Why Does Pigment PB27 not Appear in Most Acrylic Ranges?<\/h2>\n

Prussian Blue is included in many ranges of relief printmaking inks, a nod to its iconic history in woodblock printing. It can also be found in most oil and watercolour ranges. However, the genuine pigment is found only rarely in acrylic ranges. This is because of Prussian Blue\u2019s sensitivity to alkaline substances. It needs a binder that reads at pH7 or less. Linseed oil and gum arabic (the binders for oil and watercolour paints) are both slightly acidic. Acrylic polymer emulsion, on the other hand, is an alkaline medium. If you are looking for a Prussian Blue acrylic, there are many ranges that recreate the colour with a mixture of pigments. For example:<\/p>\n