(THE DISCUSSION OF THE COLOR BLUE CONTINUES FROM THE PREVIOUS POST)
Blue, blue, blue, so common it is that we do not think much about it, but if we look at how it appears in our language, it would seem that we think of it a lot. For instance, look at these common phrases: blue moon, sky blue, feeling blue, the blues, midnight blue, blue ribbon, blue blood, deep blue sea, blue jeans. We could go on into terms in other languages, but I am sure you have gotten the point by now: Blue is big!
In color theory, blue is often seen as a color that is non-threatening, as it calls up feelings of calm and serenity. It is a color preferred by men and is used to represent stability and reliability. (Is that why they prefer suits in deep blue?) On the other hand, it is also a color that indicates sadness or aloofness. No wonder that the music form that wails about lost love, betrayal, and heartbreak is called The Blues, and when we complain of a low period in life, it is said that we are “singing the blues.” Blue, however, is a color that seems to spur productivity. On the other hand, it certainly chills one’s appetite, as food served on blue dishes discourages one from eating, probably because dangerous foods like poisonous mushrooms often turn blue as you cut into them, and food also turns blue as it spoils. But enough of spoils, let’s look at a few famous paintings where blue plays a role.
In looking at some famous paintings that feature blue, it is amusing to see how our attention on the details refocuses over the years. For instance, here in Vermeer’s famous, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, that pearl, which is rather hard to see, has become the focal point. However, the original title was probably Girl with a Blue Turban, as it was one of two paintings done “in the Turkish fashion.” Yes, the emphasis was on that brilliant patch of light blue that turned darker as it wrapped around her head. Certainly given the somber tones of the rest of the painting, the blue is an attention grabber. Everything else in the painting, except the red of her lips, is rather neutral, and the background is solid black. That blue surrounds her face and brings the viewer’s attention to it where one becomes engaged by the mystery of her expression. Is she about to speak? Or has she just said something and is waiting breathlessly for a response?
There was a time when this was the most famous painting in the world. Supposedly it was a type of demonstration piece to show off the artist’s talents. Gainsborough may have used his nephew as the model, though some say it was the son of a wealthy merchant. However, the youngster is dressed in 17th century clothing to mimic the look of paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck, a painter whom Gainsborough admired greatly. That means most probably this was a painting designed not as a private portrait commission but as a way of exhibiting the artist’s painterly skills. But why the blue? Well, Gainsborough’s chief rival, Sir Joshua Reynolds, thought that blue, a cool color in the 18th century, should only be used to enhance and bring out the richer tones of warm colors. Gainsborough’s response was all blue for the main figure, with those warmer tones having secondary importance. It became quite the sensation and remains so today. London’s National Gallery is currently showing off The Blue Boy once again in Room 46 until the 15th of May, 2022.
When we think of the night sky, most of us consider it black. That may be because we have not looked at it in a creative way. However, we have Vincent Van Gogh to show us the way. Van Gogh painted this night scene under the illumination of a gas lamp, a then new-fangled lighting system. Through the light of the gas lamps, the night took on a different look with a different color, that of a deep blue with aquamarine and turquoise highlights. Here, blue shows itself to be a worthy substitute for black and gray and makes the lights of the city (Arles), and the stars in the sky mirror images of one another. The shimmer of the waters of the river creates a sense of movement, which is seen by that lamplight. Here blue reigns supreme.
Pablo Picasso had a whole period in which his paintings were blue. This “Blue Period” was early in his career and started around 1900. The apocryphal tale was that the artist was so poor he could only afford blue paint, so all the paintings were blue. In actuality the story is much darker than that art history legend.
Picasso had a close friend, a young Spanish poet. His name was Carles Casagemas. The two young men carroused their way through Paris. Casagemas was involved with a woman who called herself Germaine (Laure Gargallo in reality). One night in a drunken bar scene, Casagemas threatened Germaine’s life with a pistol. In fact he fired it at her. She fell under the table (or shall I say dove under). Casagemas, thinking he had just killed her, which he had not, turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. When Picasso heard of the death of his friend, it started his blue period.
The painting above, The Old Guitarist, is almost Picasso as a blue El Greco. Everything is long and exaggerated. The palid blue of the skin and the bowed head over the guitar are an apt symbol of depression. One can almost hear a melancholy tune coming from the guitar as the old man strums out the sadness of his life. The painting is in fact a self-portrait of the soul of the then 20-year- old painter who had not yet sold any painting. The Blue Period was the first major body of work that Picasso turned out and the first development of a distinct voice for that artist, artsy.net. Of course, he went on to move into Casagemas’ vacant apartment and take up being the lover of the infamous Germaine. Even then, Picasso was Picasso.
One of Pablo Picasso’s frenemies was Henri Matisse. Picasso actually bought some of Matisse’s work, but Matisse never bought Picasso’s. Matisse was a rather bourgeois gentleman who liked to live a well-ordered and busy life. He loved vibrant colors and was someone who was quite taken by jazz, in which the perfect moment of sensory experience of the music is called the Blue Note. Matisse even created a series of cut-outs called Jazz. Here the artist uses collage techniques to create a modernist nude, put together in pieces almost like a mosaic. Matisse experimented with color and with simplified forms. He loved seeing how the colors contrasted with one another, but blue became one of his most frequent choices. Whether it was the coolness of the color, or how he felt about jazz, as a music lover, blue became the color of many of his cut-outs.
Ah blue, that mysterious color that does not really occur naturally, that humans did not even see until they made it, that went from hot to cool with the passage of time, and which has a lifespan that fits within the limited history of civilized humanity, may be one of our greatest creations and may only be around as long as we are.
Images used for this article are either in public domain or used in accordance with Fair Use Policy for purposes of discussion or critique and review.
Articles and books used for this post are as follows:
Bleu: Histoire d’une coulour by Michel Pastoureau
“The Color Psychology of Blue” Kendra Cherry and Amy Morin verywellmind.com
“The Emotional Turmoil Behind Picasso’s Blue Period” Alexxa Gotthardt artsy.net
For more on Marjorie Vernelle, see the About Page or the author page at amazon.com/author/marjorievernelle. Go to the Art Blog at vernellestudio.com and for my original art goods see etsy.com/shop/VernelleArtStudio.
What is noble about rot?
Ugh. Disgusting! Yes, that might be the first response to this picture of Riesling grapes infected with Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that infects grapes that are very ripe. Should this infestation continue, the grape harvest is ruined. This is particularly true when the weather is damp. However, just as clever viticulturists took a hard freeze back in 1794 to turn frozen grapes into ice wine, so too does the right handling of this rot make it the formula for some of the very best sweet wines.
While ice wines came from Germany, it was eastern Europe that produced the first botrisized wines. That got started in the 1500s in Hungary, with Tokaj becoming the area to first begin classifying its botrisized wines in the 18th century. (Here a photo of a bottle of Azsu Six, Photo by Meg Baggott.)
In northeast Hungary and southeast Slovakia, the rivers provide the cool morning mists that support the development of the Botrytis cinerea fungus. However, the trick is to then have warm sunny days, which helps to evaporate the water in the grapes, which the fungus has released by puncturing the skins. That means what is left is sugar. That is the making of a good sweet dessert wine.
Needless to say, the French, who are known for using the decaying processes of nature to gastronomical advantage (just think of roquefort cheese – a blue cheese by the way), were certainly not going to let the Hungarians have all the fun. In a process known in French as pourriture noble (noble rot), the Sémillon grape can be picked sometimes in successive sessions of handpicking (grape-by-grape) called tris, in order to get the very best grapes to make a category of sweet wine called Sauterne, which is a mix of Sémillon, Muscadelle, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The area most famous for this mix is Bordeaux.
SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS NOBILITY LEAD TO?
Sauternes are fine dessert wines, and one of the desserts to pair it with is a nice slice of cheesecake covered in fresh berries. Sauterne’s mix of honey and nut flavors blends well with cheesecake, ice cream, and fruit tarts. However, there are savory possibilities as well.
Fiona Beckett, of Matching Food and Wine suggests that all kinds of roasted fowl go well with Sauternes. Above there is a platter of roasted duck; however, a chicken can be basted with Sauterne and roasted to perfection, then served with a bottle of Sauterne. Chinese and Asian dishes are also recommended. Then of course, come the cheeses, of which roquefort is the first to come to mind. However, any number of other dishes work well with sweet wines like Sauterne or the Hungarian Tokaj, including foie gras, shellfish, and glazed pork. It is recommended to serve these dessert wines at 50-54 degrees Fahrenheit, though an aged Sauterne needs to be served a bit warmer.
So in these times of being economical, one must remember how inventive humans can be when faced with conditions that would normally destroy a valued item. If one handles things just right, what looks like a disaster can actually be a completely new item which has its own special value.
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©marjorie vernelle 2022
Coming Soon: Mantegna and The World’s Most Beautiful Bridal Chamber, plus Wines for Weddings.
Heading into wedding season brings to mind the most famous bridal bedroom in the world. Done between 1465 and 1474 by Andrea Mantegna, this chamber was commission for the Ducal Palace in Mantua by the marquis, Ludovico Gonzaga III, in order to compete with other city-states that were commissioning such art. Naturally, with weddings comes the question of what wines to serve, and the answers can be surprising. See you for the next post.