编译：加子艺
校对：张迅，王欣园
时间：2024年9月30日
凯利·格罗维尔（Kelly Grovier）是一名美国诗人、历史学家兼艺术评论家，其代表作《色彩的艺术：39种颜料中的艺术史》（The Art of Colour[1] : The History of Art in 39 Pigments）以色彩为线索，大胆探寻从毕加索到莫奈等艺术大师的颜料选择与使用背后的深层涵义，进而重新审视艺术史。本篇主要选取其中的八种色彩进行介绍，以期为理解色彩、历史与文学作品间的暗潮涌动提供帮助。
第一种是普鲁士蓝（Prussian Blue），其是德国炼金术士迪佩尔（Johann Konrad Dippel）一场失败实验的无意之作，而此后便成为了作家作品中神秘的代名词以及艺术家笔下不可或缺的一抹色彩，如毕加索的《蓝色房间》（Picasso, The Blue Room）。
（Picasso, The Blue Room）
第二种是骨黑（Bone black），其来自焚烧骨骼的粉末，是欲望与腐朽间界限的象征。约翰·辛格·萨金特（John Singer Sargen）在作品《X夫人》（Madame X）中便通过骨黑来表现生命的短暂和欲望的转瞬即逝，进而赋予了作品对肉体短暂性和腐朽的深刻哲思。第三种是红色，尤其是玫瑰胭脂色（Rose Madder），其被维梅尔（Vermeer）巧妙地应用在《拿酒杯的少女》（The Girl with a Wine Glass）一作中。这种色彩的萃取是通过煮沸释放茜草根部的茜红染料。由此，画中女子衣裙的艳红不仅成为画中的视觉中心，更暗藏着画面人物之间微妙的情感张力。
第六种是绿色，其则有着更加险恶的一面。贝尔特·莫里索的《夏日》（Berthe Morisot, Summer’s Day）便使用了翡翠绿（Emerald Green），而这种颜料与舍勒绿关系密切，其中舍勒绿（Scheele’s Green）正是拿破仑卧室壁纸中所夹杂的有毒颜料成分。因此，翡翠绿为画作中的天空增添了一种不安的氛围，以此暗示着看似宁静的场域下潜藏的危险。第七种是紫色，其在印象派画家如莫奈（Monet）的作品中扮演了重要角色。19世纪，钴紫颜料（Cobalt Violet）的发明使画家们能够捕捉到大自然中的紫色阴影，而莫奈的《鸢尾花》（Irises）和《睡莲》（Water Lilies）系列便是以紫色来捕捉自然中的光影变化。在莫奈看来：“空气便是紫色的。”
最后是白色。尽管，表面上其象征着纯洁无瑕，但却有着黑暗的一面。詹姆斯·麦克尼尔·惠斯勒（James McNeill Whistler）在其作品《白色交响曲第一号：白衣少女》（Symphony White, No 1: The White Girl）中使用了铅白（Lead White）。该颜料由铅和醋生成，通过发酵动物粪便的二氧化碳反应产生。虽然，制作过程肮脏且有毒，但铅白却赋予了作品独特的质感，即象征着艺术能够从最污秽的材料中创造出最美丽的东西。
色彩的历史亦是艺术的历史，每一种色彩背后的发明与故事既影响了艺术家如何创作，又塑造了我们如何欣赏和理解这些杰作。这段探讨色彩在艺术中的重要性，不仅拓展了我们对艺术作品的认识，也让我们更加关注色彩作为艺术语言的深刻表达力。
Kelly Grovier, an American poet, historian, and art critic, delves into the hidden layers of masterpieces through the lens of color in his notable work The Art of Colour[2] : The History of Art in 39 Pigments. This book reexamines art history by exploring the pigments used by artists such as Picasso and Monet, revealing how their choice of colors influenced the deeper meaning of their works. In this piece, Grovier introduces the histories and unique meanings behind seven key colors, each carrying a mysterious story that plays a crucial role in understanding the significance of color in art, history, and literature.
First, he recounts the origin of Prussian Blue, a color born out of an accidental discovery in 1706 by German alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel. When Dippel was about to discard a failed concoction, a dye-maker used the solution to create a deep blue hue, later named Prussian Blue. This color became a vital pigment in the works of artists like Picasso, as seen in The Blue Room, symbolizing mystery and depth. Prussian Blue’s serendipitous creation left a lasting impact on the art world.
Bone black, on the other hand, represents the boundary between desire and decay. This pigment, made from the pulverized remains of burnt bones, is used in John Singer Sargent’s Madame X to add an eerie tone to the subject’s pale skin, making it appear almost gangrenous. This use of bone black transforms the painting into a meditation on the transience of flesh, where the line between beauty and decomposition is blurred, offering a profound commentary on mortality.
Red, particularly rose madder, is skillfully used by Vermeer in The Girl with a Wine Glass. Derived from the roots of the madder plant, this pigment gives the woman’s dress its vibrant red hue. In this painting, color serves not just as a visual draw but as a tool to convey the subtle emotional tension between the characters, highlighting the complex interplay of desire and power.
Orange, representing eternal beauty, is exemplified in Sir Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June. At [3] first glance, this painting seems to depict a peaceful summer nap, but the inclusion of a nearby oleander plant hints at the presence of death. However, Leighton’s use of chrome orange, a pigment made from chromite, transforms the scene into a symbol of beauty that transcends mortality, forever radiant and unyielding to the passage of time.
Yellow takes on a supernatural quality in Rembrandt’s Belshazzar’s Feast, where the divine writing on the wall is rendered in lead-tin yellow. Though this pigment’s formula disappeared in the 18th century, it was rediscovered in the 20th century, bringing back the vibrant hues that once illuminated the robes and religious symbols of old masters like Rembrandt.
Green, however, carries a more sinister undertone. Berthe Morisot’s Summer’s Day utilizes emerald green, a pigment closely related to the toxic Scheele’s Green, which is suspected to have contributed to Napoleon Bonaparte’s death due to its use in wallpaper. In Morisot’s painting, the green-tinted sky creates a sense of unease, hinting at the hidden dangers beneath the seemingly tranquil scene.
Purple played [4] a pivotal role in the works of Impressionist painters like Monet. The invention of cobalt violet in the 19th century, along with the creation of portable paint tubes, enabled[5] artists to capture the subtle violet hues of nature’s shadows. Monet’s Irises and Water Lilies series owe much of their atmospheric depth to this timely invention. As Monet famously declared, “the air is violet”.
Lastly, white, often symbolizing purity, has a darker side. In James McNeill Whistler’s Symphony in White, No 1: The White Girl, the lead white pigment used is derived from a process involving lead, vinegar, and fermenting animal excrement. Though the process is filthy and toxic, the result is a luminous white that underscores the paradoxical nature of art, where beauty can emerge from even the most impure materials.
The history of color is the history of art. The invention and stories behind each color have influenced how artists create and shaped[6] how we appreciate and understand these masterpieces. This exploration of the importance of color in art not only broadens our understanding of works of art but also makes us more aware of the profound expressive power of color as an artistic language. It has also made a significant contribution to our understanding of literary works, as more and more writers use color as a means of expressing their deeper meanings.
