Prussian Blue: an Artistic and Diagnostic Odyssey

From an alchemist's accident in 18th-century Berlin to a stain we still rely on in diagnostics today, Prussian blue has had quite a journey

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Prussian blue was accidentally created in 1706 by Johann Diesbach while attempting to make red dye, leading to the first modern synthetic pigment.
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The pigment quickly transformed the European art scene, providing artists with a stable and affordable deep blue alternative to ultramarine.
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Prussian blue reached Japan in the early 19th century, revolutionizing woodblock printing and enabling richer tonal ranges in artworks.
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Max Perls utilized Prussian blue in 1867 to differentiate between melanin and iron deposits in tissue, establishing its diagnostic significance.
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Today, the Perls Prussian blue stain is essential in evaluating iron in liver pathology and has applications in various medical fields.

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