colour symbolism

Color symbolism refers to the psychological and aesthetic responses to color, influencing art, fashion, and commerce. While perceptions of "warm" (red, orange, yellow) and "cold" (blues, greens) colors are common, these associations are subjective and culturally conditioned. For instance, mourning colors vary globally, with black in the West, but white or purple elsewhere.1

Symbolism in art, particularly religious art, uses color and imagery to convey specific meanings. In Byzantine murals, the placement and depiction of figures like Christ and the Virgin Mary held symbolic architectural and theological significance. Eastern traditions, such as Chinese and Japanese painting, use brushwork and natural imagery to express spiritual harmony, while Indian art employs color to reflect emotional moods and identify deities. Western iconography often uses precise literary meanings and color codes for narrative identification, with symbols like the vine and fish adopted from Greco-Roman traditions.2