The Color of the Future: A History of Blue A detailed exploration of the color blue through history, culture, technology, and its unique position as a symbol of futurism, authored by Étienne Fortier-Dubois. --- Personal Reflection Author's favorite color shifted across ages; blue was once favorite but later seen as common due to its presence in the sky. Blue is the most fascinating common color, hardest to create artificially. Blue pigments are rare in minerals, plants, animals, requiring invention repeatedly from 4000 BC to present. Blue is often used in science fiction and futuristic contexts due to its technological and artificial nature. --- Origins and Historical Blue Pigments Indigo Organic dye from Indigofera plants, found in tropical/subtropical regions. Earliest evidence in ancient Peru (~6000 years ago). Domesticated in India (Indigofera tinctoria), source of the word indigo. Historically a luxury, traded from India to Greco-Roman and medieval Europe. European dye alternative: woad (Isatis tinctoria). Indigo was a key colonial crop with ties to slavery in the Caribbean. Egyptian Blue Earliest synthetic pigment, dating to 3250 BC. Made from calcium copper silicate (CaCuSi4O10). Created by Egyptians as natural blues like azurite were unstable and costly. Lost manufacturing technique was rediscovered and reconstructed. Important in ancient Egyptian art. Han Blue (and Purple) Similar composition to Egyptian blue but with barium (BaCuSi4O10). Appeared during China's Zhou dynasty (~800 BC). Possibly independent invention or spread via Silk Road. Usage declined after Han dynasty. Other Notable Blues Azurite: Semiprecious mineral used in Egypt, less stable. Cobalt Blue and Smalt: From cobalt oxide, used in Chinese porcelain and later identified as a chemical element. Maya Blue: Combination of indigo dye with palygorskite clay; main blue pigment in Mesoamerica from 800 AD. Ultramarine Derived from grinding rare lapis lazuli stone mined in Afghanistan. Used in Zoroastrian and Buddhist art, and highly prized in medieval Europe. Costly, about 10x the price of the stone. Reserved often for painting the Virgin Mary’s robe. Symbolic of great value, rarity, and devotion. --- The Age of Synthetic Blue Pigments Prussian Blue (early 1700s) First modern synthetic pigment, discovered accidentally in Berlin (~1706). Affordable deep blue, became popular quickly in art. Influenced Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printing after import through Dejima (~1829). Used in "blueprints" (cyanotype), a widely used duplication technique in engineering and photography. Cerulean Blue (1789) Created by Albrecht Höpfner in Switzerland. Cobalt-based pigment combined with tin oxide (Co2SnO4). Available as paint mid-19th century. Cobalt Blue (early 1800s) Reinvented by Louis Jacques Thénard in France. Made using cobalt and aluminium oxide (CoAl2O4). Industrial production flourished in Norway in the mid-19th century. Synthetic Ultramarine (1826) Developed by Jean-Baptiste Guimet in France. Industrial production process involving heating clay, sodium hydroxide, and coal. Won a government prize; brought cheaper ultramarine pigment. Secret method, shared credit with Christian Gmelin who published process. --- 20th Century and Beyond: Industrial and Modern Blue Pigments Industrial indigo production (from 1897) replaced plant-sourced indigo; massive scale (~80,000 tonnes annually). Brilliant Blue FCF (Blue No. 1) appeared with coal-tar dyes; a common food coloring. Phthalo Blue (1920s) became most widely produced blue pigment; copper phthalocyanine-based. Recent Discovery: YInMn Blue (2009) Contains yttrium (Y), indium (In), manganese (Mn). Near-perfect blue pigment with low toxicity/environmental impact. --- Blue and Science Fiction: Cultural and Technological Symbolism