Reading Comprehension

Read the passage and answer the question.

The color blue was once extremely rare in human art and language. Many ancient cultures had no specific word for blue, grouping it with green or describing the sea and sky in other terms. One reason is that blue pigments were hard to make; the vivid blue used by Renaissance painters came from a crushed stone imported over long distances and cost more than gold. Because the material was so precious, artists often reserved it for the most important figures in a painting, reinforcing the idea that blue carried special value.