Marrakech and Majorelle blue

A stunning colour, but is my pan of colour really that good? Here I reveal the story behind the colour and paint some comparisons to Colbalt blue.

In 1924, the French artist Jacques Majorelle constructed his largest artwork, the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco, and painted the garden walls, fountains, features and villa this very intense shade of blue, for which he trademarked the name Majorelle Blue. He had noticed the colour in Moroccan tiles, in Berber burnouses ( hooded cloaks ), and around the windows of buildings such as kasbahs and native adobe homes.

The striking cobalt blue of the buildings at Jardin Majorelle are an original feature conceived by Majorelle himself, inspired by the bold Moroccan skies, the shade of blue in traditional Moroccan tiles and the head-turning blue veils of the Tuareg people in the southern Sahara.

Chefchaouen, or Chaouen, is located in Northern Morocco (about a 7 hour drive north from Marrakesh) and is known as the Blue Pearl of Morocco because of exactly this - it's many shades of blue, from the narrow streets to the many blue buildings.

In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who first arrived in Morocco in 1966, purchased the Jardin Majorelle to save it from destruction at the hands of hotel developers. The new owners decided to live in Jacques Majorelle's villa, which they renamed the Villa Oasis.

Now take a peek at this short video where I test a sample and make comparions.

Categories: : All about paint