Color Symbolism of Violet or Purple A Mark of Grace, Mysticism, Nobility, and Culture

The Violet or Purple  color is a close variant of the majestic purple color and is often linked to nobility and culture. 'Color Symbolism' in art, refers to the intuitive use of colors that leaves a footprint of the thoughts that the artists had while creating their works. Sometimes, a dominant use of one or two colors, while at times, a combination of more than two shades truly convey the message of the painter to the viewer. 'Color Symbolism' is an effective way of expression, as different colors are capable of making certain psychological impacts and are identified with some meanings.

Color Symbolism of Violet or Purple 

Usually, violet or purple 'Symbolizes' magic, mysticism, inspiration, imagination, and spirituality. The sense of peace and harmony is one of the most positive influences of violet or purple color on human psyche. However, at some places, there is a negative connotation of gloom and mourning, attached to this color. To some extent, this explains the reason why violet or purple has not found great use in the history of 'Fine Arts.' In addition, due to its 'deep' and unmistakably aristocratic substitute, violet or purple had limited presence in the painted pieces. Nevertheless, this color was a popular choice among the 'Impressionists,' for painting the shadows of human figures and objects. According to them, even shadows cannot be devoid of colors and black embodies 'nothingness.' The nineteenth century color palette did not recognized black among the twelve graded color tones, based upon red, yellow, and blue. Violet or purple was chosen, as it is a complementary shade (according to the palette) to the yellowish white light used to symbolize sun and represented a 'figuratively' perfect contrast. Therefore, violet or puprple embodied a livelier representation of the 'darker' side.

Like other colors, societies in different regions attach different levels of significance and meanings to violet or purple  colors. For instance, in European nations, particularly, United Kingdom, traditional chocolates and goodies are packed in violet or purple wrappings - paper or cloth, due to the association of color with royalty. In Chinese culture, violet color signifies the accord between the two dominant forms of energy in the universe - yin and yang. Yin is represented by red color and Yang by blue, which when blended, form violet or purple color. Various genres of Chinese painting, from ancient to modern, somewhere represent this union of energies through violet color. In Indian culture, violet is associated with a sense of purpose and an awareness of one's higher self. Red brings action and blue balances it with calmness.

Symbolism of Violet

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