Orange is a bold colour that has been popular in society and art for centuries. As the balance between red and yellow, orange elicits strong, positive feelings of excitement while also signaling against danger. Read on for more information about the history and cultural meanings behind the colour orange.
Facts About the Colour Orange
Here are some facts about orange:
- The artist Vincent Van Gogh used a lot of orange in his paintings, mixing yellow and red to create unique shades.
- Orange is the colour of safety equipment and prison jumpsuits because it’s highly visible.
- The orange colour in fruits and vegetables comes from carotene.
- The shade of orange on the Golden Gate Bridge is “international orange,” which protects against rust from the ocean’s salt and moisture from the region’s fog.
A Look at the History of the Colour Orange
The orange colour was used in art in ancient cultures. Ancient Egyptians used the realgar mineral to create orange paint for their tombs, and orpiment was used in illuminated manuscripts during the Medieval period. The orpiment mineral was used to make orange pigment and was a popular trade item in Ancient Rome and a type of medicine in China.
The name “orange” was given to the colour in the 16th century — it was called “saffron” or “yellow-red” previously. When Portuguese merchants brought orange trees to Europe from Asia in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the citrus fruit’s name was adopted for the general colour.
The Meaning of the Colour Orange
Some cultures regard orange as a sacred colour because it balances red’s power and yellow’s perfection. Monks and holy men in some Asian religions, like Buddhism, wear orange robes because that dye has been readily available historically. Buddhists also connect orange to the highest state of illumination. Orange is the colour of transformation in Confucianism.
