Kozma Lecture | The Materiality of Blue: Technical Knowledge, Innovation, and Adaptation in the Ancient Mediterranean

Natural blue pigments in the ancient world were uncommon, usually sourced from far away, and difficult to process. Reviewing shady characters, like lazurite and azurite, will shed light on ancient artisanal capabilities, technical knowledge, and even trade connections that reveal the extent to which ancient people traveled and experimented in order to obtain blue. The development in the late 4th millennium BCE of a synthetic blue pigment, Egyptian blue, made it possible not only to paint in blue but also to use this material in ways other than as a pigment. A combined approach allows us to better tease out the variables and complexities in the chaine operatoire (procedural steps) behind the creation and application of these pigments, using experimental archaeology paired with ancient texts and artifact analysis. Tracing how artisans and everyday people in antiquity worked with blues provides an opportunity to explore the material constraints and practical choices of adding color.

Hilary Becker (AB Bryn Mawr College, PhD UNC-Chapel Hill) is an associate professor at Binghamton University (SUNY). She regularly researches pigments and artisanal practice, Pliny the Elder, and Etruscan archaeology.

Join us in Room 125 of the Kelsey Museum’s Newberry Hall for a reception and light refreshments at 4:30 PM; the talk will begin at 5:00 PM. Sponsored by the Kozma Lecture Fund, “The Materiality of Blue” is held in connection with our upcoming special exhibition, Ancient Abstractions: Roman Visual Trends Beyond Naturalism, curated by Nicola Barham.

This event is free and open to all visitors. If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessing this event, please visit our accessibility page at https://myumi.ch/zwPkd or contact the education office by calling (734) 647-4167. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.