The famous table “Number 1a, 1948” – one of the most characteristic works of the American abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock – has been fascinating the public for 77 years, due to the purity of his colors and the power he emits, with his amazing demonstration of “drip”.

The table “Number 1a, 1948” is considered to symbolize the pure, unlimited creative freedom of Pollock. The meter even gave the project a personal touch, adding the fingerprints of his hands near the top.

But a particular color has remained a mystery for experts for 77 years.

Scientists – with a little help from chemistry – identified the origin of the blue color, which stood out among the rest and no one could copy it.

They had previously managed to identify the red and yellow that was splashing on the canvas, but the source of the rich turquoise – blue remained unclear.

In a new study, the researchers took shavings from the blue color and – with a laser analysis technique – found a unique color footprint for the color, which they found as “manganese blue”.

The blue manganese pigment was once used by artists but also by workers to paint the pool cement.

The pigment was gradually abolished in the 1990s due to environmental concerns.

The analysis, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first confirmed proof that Pollock used this particular blue.

Previous research had suggested that turquoise from the table could indeed be this color, but the new study confirms it using canvas samples, said Gene Hall of Rutgers University and Pollock’s scholar.

The famous 1948 painting, almost 2.7 meters wide – is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

With information from AP