In This Issue

Solving the mystery of Pollock's blue pigmentNumber 1A, 1948 by Jackson Pollock is an iconic example of the artist's action painting technique.The red and yellow pigments used in the painting have been previously identified, but the painting also includes a vibrant blue pigment of unknown identity.Alexander Heyer et al. used laser spectroscopy to identify the blue pigment in Number 1A, 1948.The authors report that the pigment is manganese blue, representing the first confirmed use of the pigment by Pollock.First patented in 1935, manganese blue was widely used by artists in the 20th century for its vivid and distinctive color.However, the pigment was phased out by the 1990s due to environmental and health concerns associated with the manufacturing process.The pigment's identification could inform the conservation of Pollock's works.The authors also used spectroscopic techniques to explore the chemical phenomena that produce the pigment's distinctive color.The analysis indicated that the manganese site in the pigment creates two absorption bands that filter light at low and high energy, resulting in the reflection of a pure blue hue.According to the authors, the structures of metal-based pigments similar to manganese blue could be fine-tuned to synthesize additional pure hues.-M.H.