smalt

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Smalt

Used among the 15th and the 18th centuries, smalt was popular because of its low cost and because it is a very good dryer.

Manufacturer / product code: Kremer / 10000
Chemical description: blue potassium glass powder containing cobalt. Kremer PDF
Color: blue
Color Index: PB32
More info: Pigments Through The Ages Colourlex

Smalt is a historic blue pigment made from finely ground potassium glass colored with cobalt oxide. Its origins trace back to the ancient Near East, where cobalt-containing glass was used as early as the second millennium BCE. However, the intentional production of smalt as a pigment developed more clearly in medieval Europe, especially in regions known for glassmaking such as Bohemia, Saxony, and Venice. By the 15th century, smalt had become an established artists’ material and was widely traded across Europe.

During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, smalt served multiple artistic purposes. It was valued both as a pigment and as a drier in oil painting: the potassium in the glass matrix accelerates the polymerization of oil, improving drying times. Artists used smalt for skies, drapery, and architectural elements, though its initial deep blue often faded to a cooler gray over time due to particle size and alkali loss. Masters like Tintoretto and Vermeer incorporated smalt into their palettes—sometimes strategically, taking advantage of its textural qualities despite its color instability.

In decorative arts, smalt played an even more significant role. It was a key component in stained glass, faience, and ceramics, producing vibrant blues stable at high firing temperatures. Smalt was also used in illuminated manuscripts and frescoes, where its granular sparkle contributed to visual richness.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, smalt declined in popularity as more reliable blue pigments—Prussian blue, ultramarine, and later synthetic cobalt blue—became available.

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