Scientists have solved the blue riddle of Pollock's paintings. It's the secret of "Number 1A"

Science is increasingly helping us understand the works of the world's most famous artists. Now, researchers have identified the origin of the color blue in one of Jackson Pollock's paintings.

American painter Jackson Pollock is perhaps the most famous representative of abstract expressionism , who created his paintings using a distinctive technique of dripping and splattering paint onto the canvas.

This was not always met with a favorable reception from other artists, but it must be admitted that Pollock's "action painting" aroused emotions from the very beginning.

A prime example of Pollock's style is the painting "Number 1A, 1948," currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York . Scientists had previously characterized the painter's reds and yellows, but the source of the intense turquoise blue remained a mystery. Until now.

Researchers decided to take another look at Polock's "blue secret." For this latest study, they collected samples of blue paint and used lasers to scatter light and measure the vibrations of the paint particles.

The analysis, published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led scientists to conclude that the blue shade used by the painter was manganese blue .

Portrait of Jackson Pollock, 1928. Photo: Author unknown / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 (Public domain)

Manganese blue pigment was widely used by painters and others years ago. It was often used, among other things, to color cement in swimming pools. However, in the 1990s, it was phased out due to environmental concerns .

Previous research had suggested that the turquoise blue in the painting might be this pigment, but until now, there was no conclusive evidence. Therefore, the authors of this latest experiment decided to go even further and analyze the pigment's chemical structure .

It turns out that in Pollock's work, finding the perfect paint sample isn't that difficult. He didn't mix paints on a palette, as painters usually did, but poured them directly onto the canvas.

“It’s really fascinating to understand where such a striking color comes from, at a molecular level,” says study co-author Edward Solomon .