Marian blue is a tone of the color
ultramarine named for its use with the
Virgin Mary.
Background
In paintings, Mary is traditionally portrayed in blue. This tradition can trace its origin to the
Byzantine Empire, from circa 500 AD, where blue was "the color of an empress". A more practical explanation for the use of this color is that in Medieval and
Renaissance Europe, the blue pigment was derived from the rock
lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color.
As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, ...
, a stone imported from Afghanistan of greater value than gold. Beyond a painter's retainer, patrons were expected to purchase any gold or lapis lazuli to be used in the painting. Hence, it was an expression of devotion and glorification to swathe the Virgin in gowns of blue. Transformations in visual depictions of the Virgin from the 13th to 15th centuries mirror her "social" standing within the Church as well as in society.
In art the association of blue with Mary was complemented by an association of red with Jesus. The juxtaposition of the two is an important element in many works of historical art.
See also
*
List of colors
*
Ultramarine
*
Mariology
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marian Blue
Shades of blue
Virgin Mary in art