Researchers solve decades-old color mystery in iconic Jackson Pollock painting

By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN
Updated 3:45 PM EDT, September 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have identified the origins of the blue color in one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings with a little help from chemistry, confirming for the first time that the abstract expressionist used a vibrant, synthetic pigment known as manganese blue.

“Number 1A, 1948,” showcases Pollock’s classic style: paint has been dripped and splattered across the canvas, creating a vivid, multicolored work. Pollock even gave the piece a personal touch, adding his handprints near the top.

The painting, currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) wide. Scientists had previously characterized the reds and yellows splattered across the canvas, but the source of the rich turquoise blue proved elusive.

https://apnews.com/article/jackson-pollock-painting-manganese-blue-1948-4acd29ec34bcbf5b52be4807d65be9b1