A blue more expensive than gold − ultramarine

Deadly chemical cousins: oranges and yellows

What makes two volcano-born pigments so dangerous? Hint: they weren’t scorching hot when artists used them. Orpiment and realgar both contain arsenic, a foe we’ve previously faced on ‘Stories in Colour’. From volcanoes to ancient alchemical practices, art historian Evie Hatch joins Beks to uncover the origins and histories of these orange and yellow pigments. Together, they discuss how orpiment and realgar have been used, where their names come from and the risks artists faced painting with them. ------- Evie Hatch is an art historian specialising in the history and characteristics of artist pigments. She is the writer and presenter of Jackson's Art Pigment Stories series and author of the 2025 book ‘Pigment Stories: The History of Artists' Colour’. ------- Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXdv6XZoJBE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXdv6XZoJBE] You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk [http://bit.ly/1HrNTFd] Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast] ------- Paintings mentioned: Titian, ‘The Holy Family with a Shepherd’, About 1510 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-the-holy-family-with-a-shepherd [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-the-holy-family-with-a-shepherd] Titian, ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’, 1520-3 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne] Jacopo Tintoretto, ‘Christ washing the Feet of the Disciples’, About 1575-80 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-christ-washing-the-feet-of-the-disciples [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-christ-washing-the-feet-of-the-disciples] Jacopo Tintoretto, ‘The Origin of the Milky Way', About 1575 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-the-origin-of-the-milky-way [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jacopo-tintoretto-the-origin-of-the-milky-way] Rachel Ruysch, ‘Flowers in a Vase’, About 1685 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rachel-ruysch-flowers-in-a-vase [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/rachel-ruysch-flowers-in-a-vase] Margarito d’Arezzo, ‘The Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Scenes of the Nativity and the Lives of the Saints’, Probably about 1263-4 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/margarito-d-arezzo-the-virgin-and-child-enthroned-with-narrative-scenes [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/margarito-d-arezzo-the-virgin-and-child-enthroned-with-narrative-scenes] Abraham Mignon, ‘Still Life with Flowers and a Watch’, About 1660-79 © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/Still-Life-with-Flowers-and-a-Watch--7404dc80eb5bfc4161ed6ccf454e293f?tab=data [https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/object/Still-Life-with-Flowers-and-a-Watch--7404dc80eb5bfc4161ed6ccf454e293f?tab=data] ------- Further reading: Pliny the Elder, ‘Natural History’ [Book] Find out more about Plutarch’s version of the tale of King Midas in "On Superstition" from ‘Moralia’, produced about 100 AD [Essay] Cennino Cennini, ‘Il Libro dell’arte’, produced in late 14th-century [Book] Find out more about ‘Titian’s Painting Technique before 1540’ in the National Gallery’s Technical Bulletin, 2013: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/media/16259/vol-34-essay-1-2013.pdf [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/media/16259/vol-34-essay-1-2013.pdf] Find out more about the use of orpiment in Margarito d’Arezzo’s ‘The Virgin and Child Enthroned’: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bAVhk85cvIns0Q [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bAVhk85cvIns0Q] Find out more about research on degrading colours in yellow flowers in 17th-century still life paintings here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9176749/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9176749/] Listen to our episode from series one of ‘Stories in Colour’ on deadly green pigments: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PIn-7FesV8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PIn-7FesV8] ------- Additional note: Please note that mentions of the emperor Caius during this episode are in reference to the Roman emperor Gaius Caesar (Caligula). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caligula-Roman-emperor [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caligula-Roman-emperor] ------- Episode credits: Guest: Evie Hatch Host and executive producer: Beks Leary Producer: Harry Rosehill Researcher: Hannah Rogers Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver Video Producer: Alessandro Sorenti Editor: Paul Frankl Theme music: Theo Elwell

A blue more expensive than gold − ultramarine

Travel with us beyond the sea to look at ultramarine, a pigment that was once even more precious than gold. In this episode, writer Victoria Finlay joins Beks for a discussion on how researching ultramarine took her to Afghanistan. She journeyed to the blue mines where you can find lapis lazuli, the semi-precious stone ultramarine comes from. Along the journey, we pause to look at some of the National Gallery’s paintings – including one noteworthy for its lack of ultramarine... ------- Victoria has written several books about colour - including 'Colour, Travels through the Paintbox' and 'The Brilliant History of Color in Art' - which involved travelling across the globe to the very places that ancient pigments and dyes came from. Her most recent book is about the hidden histories of fabric. ------- Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lOs0_Yi-G8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lOs0_Yi-G8] You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist] Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast] ------- Paintings mentioned: English or French (?), ‘The Wilton Diptych’, About 1395-9 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/english-or-french-the-wilton-diptych [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/english-or-french-the-wilton-diptych] Michelangelo, ‘The Entombment (or Christ being carried to his Tomb)’, About 1500-1 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/michelangelo-the-entombment-or-christ-being-carried-to-his-tomb [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/michelangelo-the-entombment-or-christ-being-carried-to-his-tomb] Sassoferrato, ‘The Virgin and Prayer’, 1640-50 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sassoferrato-the-virgin-in-prayer [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sassoferrato-the-virgin-in-prayer] Titian, ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’, 1520-3 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/titian-bacchus-and-ariadne] Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ‘The Umbrellas’, About 1881-6 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/pierre-auguste-renoir-the-umbrellas [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/pierre-auguste-renoir-the-umbrellas] Claude Monet, ‘Irises’, About 1914-17 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-irises [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-irises] Paul Cezanne, ‘Hillside in Provence’, About 1890-2 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paul-cezanne-hillside-in-provence [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paul-cezanne-hillside-in-provence] ------- Further reading: Victoria Finlay, ‘Color: A Natural History of the Palette’, 2002 Victoria Finlay, ‘Colour: Travels through the Paintbox’, 2002 Victoria Finlay, ‘The Brilliant History of Color in Art’, 2014 Victoria Finlay, ‘Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World’, 2021 Cennino Cennini, ‘Il Libro dell'Arte’, produced late 14th-century Find out more about Ultramarine in our ‘Chemistry of Colour’ YouTube series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EzUlnRtDGM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EzUlnRtDGM] ------- Episode credits: Guest: Victoria Finlay Host and executive producer: Beks Leary Producer: Harry Rosehill Researcher: Hannah Rogers Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver Video Producers: Jeanne Kenyon and Alessandro Sorenti Editor: Paul Frankl Theme music: Theo Elwell

What is synaesthesia? Can you hear colour?

Welcome back to a new series of 'Stories in Colour'. To kick off, we’re tackling one of the topics we received the most questions about − synaesthesia. Join Beks and this week’s guests, composer Dr Deborah Pritchard and leading expert on synaesthesia Professor Jamie Ward, as they set out to answer questions such as: What is synaesthesia and what might yellow sound like? We are also joined in the studio by violinist Greta Mutlu and cellist Richard Harwood. They help bring Deborah’s own personal experience of synaesthesia to life through music. ------- Jamie is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. He is one of the world's leading experts on synaesthesia and is the author of several books, including ‘The Frog Who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mixing of the Senses’. Deborah is an award-winning British composer known for her work relating to synaesthesia. She has been performed worldwide by the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and more. She is Associate of The Faculty of Music, Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music and was Visiting Fellow at Keble College, Oxford from 2022-2023. ------- Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tko6NE4po0Y [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tko6NE4po0Y] You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk [podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk] Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast [https://www.youtube.com/playlist] ------- Paintings mentioned: Sassoferrato, ‘The Virgin in Prayer’, 1640-50 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sassoferrato-the-virgin-in-prayer [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/sassoferrato-the-virgin-in-prayer ] Claude Monet, ‘Water-Lilies’, after 1916 https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-water-lilies [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/claude-monet-water-lilies] Edvard Munch, ‘The Scream’, 1893. The National Museum, Oslo https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/NG.M.00939 [https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/collection/object/NG.M.00939] ------- Further reading: Jamie Ward, ‘The Frog who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mixing of the Senses’, 2008 Wassily Kandinsky, ‘Concerning the Spiritual in Art’, 1911 Find out more about Deborah Pritchard’s ‘Wall of Water’ and the English String Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l4yX6sZqVw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l4yX6sZqVw] Find out more about Maggi Hambling’s ‘Walls of Water’ exhibition 2014-15: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/maggi-hambling-walls-of-water [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/maggi-hambling-walls-of-water ] Find out more about composer Olivier Messiaen: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olivier-Messiaen [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olivier-Messiaen] Step into the 'National Gallery Imaginarium': https://imaginarium.nationalgallery.org.uk/ [https://imaginarium.nationalgallery.org.uk/] ------- Additional note: The 'National Gallery Imaginarium' digital experience features an introductory poem titled 'The Imaginarium' by poet and novelist Sir Ben Okri. ------- Episode credits: Guests: Dr Deborah Pritchard, Professor Jamie Ward Musicians: Cellist Richard Harwood and Violinist Greta Mutlu Host and executive producer: Beks Leary Producer: Harry Rosehill Researcher: Hannah Rogers Technicians: Ian Warren and Tom Gulliver Video Producers: Alessandro Sorenti and Amber Akaunu Editor: Oli Mason Theme music: Theo Elwell

Stories in Colour Returns – Series 2 Trailer

What does colour sound like? Why was mauve the brat green of the Victorian era? And is pink really just for girls? Welcome back to another series of 'Stories in Colour', the National Gallery's vibrant podcast. Join us on a journey that travels from mines in Afghanistan, to the East End of Victorian London. Hear from curators, scientists, historians and artists, for fresh perspectives and unexpected discoveries. The first episode of series two is out now on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast]

The story of gold: modern imaginations (part three)

When the artist Louise Nevelson immigrated to America as a child, she was told that ‘the streets... would be paved in gold’. Obviously, they weren’t, but that hasn’t stopped modern artists turning pretty much everything else golden. Even a toilet. Join National Gallery Courses and Events Programmer Caroline Miller, Associate Curator of Contemporary and Modern Priyesh Mistry and host Beks in the final episode of our sparkling miniseries, where we look to uses of gold in modern and contemporary art. From glistening gold in Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’ to an artwork so valuable it has hardly ever been displayed. We explore what gold has meant for contemporary artists and how they have tested the limits of this sparkling colour and material. Caroline is the Courses and Events Programmer at the Gallery. She develops online and in-person courses that expand access and engagement for the National Gallery’s audiences worldwide. Priyesh is Associate Curator, Contemporary and Modern at the National Gallery where he works towards an ambitious programme to integrate contemporary art within the context of the museum and its historic collections. _______ Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3I4VzE_QPI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3I4VzE_QPI] You can email us with any questions via podcast@nationalgallery.org.uk [https://www.youtube.com/playlist] Find out more about the podcast on our website: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcast] _______ Paintings mentioned: Joseph Beuys, ‘How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare’, 1965. Galerie Schmela, Düsseldorf [Performance art] https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/434.1997.9/ [https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/434.1997.9/] Anselm Kiefer, 'Mein Rhine', 2024. Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg Villa Kast [Exhibition] https://ropac.net/online-exhibitions/171-anselm-kiefer-mein-rhein/ [https://ropac.net/online-exhibitions/171-anselm-kiefer-mein-rhein/] Jan van Eyck, ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’, 1434. The National Gallery, London https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-the-arnolfini-portrait] Anselm Kiefer, 'Field of the Cloth of Gold', 2021. Gagosian, Le Bourget [Exhibition] https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/ [https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/] Anselm Kiefer, ‘Aus Herzen und Hirnen sprießen die Halme der Nacht (From Hearts and Brains the Stalks of Night Are Sprouting)’, 2019-2020. Emulsion, oil, acrylic, shellac, straw, gold leaf, wood, and metal on canvas, 185 ⅛ x 330 ¾ inches (470 x 840 cm) https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/ [https://gagosian.com/exhibitions/2021/anselm-kiefer-field-of-the-cloth-of-gold/] Gustav Klimt, 'Pallas Athene', 1898. Wein Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.wienmuseum.at/en/object/102991-pallas-athene/ [https://sammlung.wienmuseum.at/en/object/102991-pallas-athene/] Gustav Klimt, 'The Kiss (Lovers)', 1908 (completed 1909). Belvedere Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar [https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar] Barkley L. Hendricks, ‘Lawdy Mama’, 1969. Studio Museum in Harlem https://www.studiomuseum.org/artworks/lawdy-mama-2 [https://www.studiomuseum.org/artworks/lawdy-mama-2] Barkley L. Hendricks, ‘Father, Son, and...’, 1969. Art Bridges https://artbridgesfoundation.org/artworks/hendricks-father-son-and [https://artbridgesfoundation.org/artworks/hendricks-father-son-and] Louise Nevelson, ‘Royal Tide II’, 1961–1963. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York https://whitney.org/collection/works/428 [https://whitney.org/collection/works/428] Chris Burden, ‘Tower of Power’, 1985. Exhibition: “Chris Burden: Extreme Measures” at New Museum, New York, 2013-14 https://archive.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/1861 [https://archive.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/1861] Maurizio Cattelan, ‘AMERICA’, 2016. Bowl: 18K Gold; Pipes and flushmeter: gold plated. 72,4 cm x 35,6 cm x 68,6 cm. Exhibition: ‘Maurizio Cattelan: “America”’ at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2016-17 https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/maurizio-cattelan-america [https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/maurizio-cattelan-america] [Episode artwork] Gustav Klimt, The Kiss (Lovers), 1908 (completed 1909). Belvedere Museum, Vienna https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar [https://sammlung.belvedere.at/objects/6678/der-kuss-liebespaar] _______ Further reading: Discover more on gold in the National Gallery’s collection on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJUaHMnazU] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvb2y26xK6Y6T7IfNAc1jMa_zMoX231MX] Find out more about Angela Davis here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Angela-Davis [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Angela-Davis] Take a closer look at the artist Louise Nevelson and her assemblage art: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw72654/Louise-Nevelson [https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw72654/Louise-Nevelson] Find out more about Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘America’ (2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjev7vn4qp0o [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjev7vn4qp0o] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j8z6r8zl6o [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j8z6r8zl6o] Find out more about artist Marcel Duchamp: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcel-Duchamp] ------- Episode credits: Guests: Caroline Miller and Priyesh Mistry Host and executive producer: Beks Leary Producer: Harry Rosehill Researcher: Hannah Rogers Technician: Ian Warren Video editors: Jeanne Kenyon and Alessandro Sorenti Theme music: Theo Elwell