A decades-long mystery surrounding one of Jackson Pollock’s most famous paintings has finally been solved — with a little help from chemistry. Scientists have confirmed that the vivid turquoise in Pollock’s Number 1A, 1948 comes from a synthetic pigment known as manganese blue, providing the first definitive evidence that the abstract expressionist used this colour in his work.
The painting, a monumental canvas almost nine feet wide, is a striking example of Pollock’s drip technique, with paint splattered and poured across its surface. Among the reds, yellows and browns that had already been analysed by researchers, one hue remained puzzling: the rich, almost luminous turquoise that streaks across the composition. Adding to its personal resonance, Pollock pressed his handprints onto the upper edge of the canvas, a reminder of the artist’s direct connection with the work.
While experts had speculated that the blue might be manganese-based, only now has the hypothesis been confirmed. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers took microscopic samples of the paint and examined them using lasers to scatter light and measure molecular vibrations. This revealed a unique chemical fingerprint pointing unmistakably to manganese blue.
“It’s really interesting to understand where some striking colour comes from on a molecular level,” said Edward Solomon of Stanford University, a co-author of the study.
First developed in the 1930s, manganese blue became popular among artists in the mid-20th century for its intensity and durability, and even found its way into swimming pool cement. By the 1990s, however, it had largely disappeared from circulation due to environmental concerns surrounding its production.
For art historians and conservators, the confirmation is more than a scientific curiosity. Analysing pigments allows researchers to better preserve paintings and to identify forgeries. Pollock’s particular working method — pouring and dripping paint directly from tins and sticks rather than mixing on a palette — makes it easier to collect distinct samples from his canvases without damaging the integrity of the work.
The study also shed light on how the pigment achieves its vibrant appearance. By probing the chemical structure of manganese blue, the researchers identified how the arrangement of atoms produces its signature turquoise glow. “I actually see a lot of similarities between the way that we worked and the way that Jackson Pollock worked on the painting,” said Abed Haddad, an assistant conservation scientist at the Museum of Modern Art, who co-authored the paper. “While his paintings might look spontaneous, he was methodical — just as we were in our investigation.”
Other scholars welcomed the finding. Gene Hall of Rutgers University, who has studied Pollock’s use of colour but was not involved in the new research, said, “I’m pretty convinced that it could be manganese blue.”
The discovery underscores how science can continue to unlock secrets from within artworks long thought to be fully understood. Pollock’s painting, on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, remains as visceral as ever — but for those who look closely, its blue has taken on new resonance.
Pollock often rejected claims that his work was chaotic, instead describing his drip technique as a disciplined and deliberate process. This latest investigation seems to echo his philosophy, showing that even at a molecular level, the colours and patterns in Number 1A, 1948 reveal a hidden order.