otterintheflightdeck: 伯林青 (Berensu) | #1A4472 | “Berlin Blue” Also known as Prussian blu
伯林青 (Berensu) | #1A4472 | “Berlin Blue”
Also known as Prussian blue or Parisian blue, Berlin blue was one of the first synthetic pigments. It was synthetized by the paint maker Diesbach in Berlin around 1706 and later exported to Japan on Dutch ships, marking the first time Japanese artists had access to a long-lasting blue pigment. Woodblock artists made extensive use of the color, leading to it later being known as Hiroshige blue or Hokusai (both the names of woodblock artists, the latter of whom is famous for The Great Wave off Kanagawa).
Berensu is a Japanese adaptation of the Dutch word Berlijns (Berlin) to which Chinese characters were retroactively fitted. Older Japanese names for the color include ベイレンブラーウ (Beiren blau), ベロ藍 (Bero ai), and ディースバッハブルー (Diesbach blue).
(Picture sources: 1,2,3 |More colors)
