Jackson Pollock’s ‘Number 1A, 1948’ stands as a quintessential example of action painting, a style where paint is vigorously dripped, splashed, and layered onto the canvas. For years, while the reds and yellows in this masterpiece were identified as cadmium pigments, the exact origin of the painting’s distinctive blue remained a mystery.
While pigments interact with light and their surroundings to produce specific colors, the hex triplet #1099D6 approximates the striking shade of manganese blue discussed in this study.
This wasn’t merely a point of artistic intrigue. Pinpointing Pollock’s precise pigments is crucial for authenticating his artworks and ensuring their long-term preservation. The blue itself, chemically known as manganese blue, possesses remarkable and unique characteristics. Though a popular choice in the mid-20th century, its production was later halted. What made it special was its incredibly pure blue shade and impressive chemical stability. This prompted scientists to delve deeper: what gives manganese blue its vibrant color, and was this the very pigment Pollock wielded in his groundbreaking work?
To solve these riddles, a collaborative effort was needed, merging chemistry, physics, and art conservation—effectively bridging the gap between the laboratory and the museum. Researchers from the U.S., including experts from New York’s Museum of Modern Art, detailed their findings in a recent paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Not only did they confirm the blue’s identity as manganese blue, but their investigation also unveiled a fascinating method for scientists to ‘tune’ the colors of inorganic pigments.
The research team employed sophisticated analytical instruments designed to examine how light interacts with various materials. Specifically, they utilized resonance Raman spectroscopy, a technique that measures molecular vibrations when excited by light, to definitively identify the presence of manganese blue. To understand the pigment’s unique color-producing mechanism, they further incorporated magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy, which reveals how magnetic fields influence light absorption in molecules. These experimental findings were then cross-referenced with density functional theory (DFT), a powerful computational modeling approach used to predict electronic structures.
By integrating these diverse methods, the scientists successfully mapped the intricate electronic transitions within the pigment – essentially, the minuscule jumps of electrons between energy levels. These transitions dictate precisely which wavelengths of light are absorbed and which are reflected, ultimately defining the color we perceive. To leave no doubt, the team also performed direct Raman spectroscopy on the blue areas of ‘Number 1A, 1948,’ conclusively confirming Pollock’s choice of pigment.
The conclusive spectroscopic evidence confirmed that the vibrant blue pigment in Pollock’s painting was indeed manganese blue. On a molecular scale, the researchers discovered that the color originates from ‘charge-transfer bands.’ This phenomenon occurs when electrons shift from oxygen atoms to the central manganese atom, causing specific light energies to be absorbed. While similar electron transitions often result in duller hues, in manganese blue, this particular electron exchange within certain orbitals cleverly absorbed green and violet light, allowing only the pure blue light to pass through and create its striking appearance.
This breakthrough holds immense significance, extending across both the art world and scientific research. For art, confirming manganese blue in ‘Number 1A, 1948’ provides invaluable information for conservators planning restoration efforts and offers scholars deeper insights into Pollock’s artistic materials and decisions. It also paves the way for identifying this same unique pigment in other works by Pollock and his contemporaries, such as Willem de Kooning, who was also known to favor it. From a scientific perspective, the study demonstrates that inorganic pigments can be ‘tuned.’ By carefully manipulating the arrangement of atoms around a central metal atom, it’s possible to alter its electron energy levels, thereby changing its color. This revelation could spark innovation in designing novel pigments or optical materials, potentially finding applications in advanced technologies like lasers.
Ultimately, as the paper highlights, these findings serve as a powerful reminder that art and science are not disparate fields. A simple question sparked by a painting – ‘What is this blue?’ – led to profound new understanding of how matter and light engage, beautifully illustrating the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and the principles of chemistry.