The History of Purple

Purple: a color that is both rich and vibrant. Purple, a color that is rarely found in nature and, since the mid 1800s, is synthetically produced in fabric dyes to this day.¹ Purple is one of the three secondary colors on the RYB color model, carrying the characteristics of its warm and cool counterparts (red and blue) as a result. Purple "embodies the balance of red's stimulation and blue's calm," taking on the characteristics of whatever undertone that is present.³

In my eyes, purple holds a flexibility that few other colors do, and exploring its history has broadened my interest in it.

Associations & Psychology
Color meanings are highly dependent on the culture, which is why they vary so greatly. Yet when it comes to purple, those meanings again rely on the undertone. Although purple is typically associated with royalty and spirituality, it can also carry the the energetic associations of red, or the more calming associations of blue.⁵

According to the Color Wheel Artist website, some other common meanings linked with purple include:

• - Passion & Sensitivity
• - Creativity
• - Courage & Bravery
• - Mysticism & Magic
• - Conceit
• - Indulgence, Instability
• - Eccentricity
• - Death & Mourning
• - Patience & Trust (Ukraine)
• - Wealth & Power (Japan)

Interestingly enough, a number of English phrases make use of the color purple, such as "purple prose" (generally elaborate or inflated language) and "purple heart," a U.S. military award for bravery.⁵

Typical Use
Since it comes in varying shades from almost pink to almost blue, purple is used to achieve different responses. Deep or bright shades of purple bring wealth to mind, while lighter shades suggest more romantic and feminine features. ²

When mixed with earthy colors like browns, tans and beige, purple comes across mysterious and conservative. Coupled with orange, its compliment, purple pops. With pink, it holds more femininity; and with green, it comes across more cheerful and springlike.² Purple seems to go well with almost any color, if given the right shade.

Example Websites

• Novel Blog
  http://carlys908.edublogs.org/2012/02/29/the-color-purple/
  Although it doesn't make strenuous use of the color purple, it does involve a couple shades of the color (background and sidebar). I also thought a blog post on the novel "The Color Purple" would be more than fitting.
• Klar
  http://klar.as/
  I can't read a lick of this, but I love the design and use of color. I find it soothing to look at and it just feels sleek, particularly with how the background fades to a darker shade.
• Woman to Woman
  http://www.womantowomangyn.com/
  The purple here is much softer, and it's mixed with both its compliment color (orange) and blue. I like how all the color blend well with each other.
• AG Media
  http://www.agmedia.hr/
  Another foreign site (Croatian, apparently) that makes excellent use of purple. It's accented with white and grays, and each portion that utilizes a large amount of purple highlights condensed information. These sections are the first place my eyes are drawn to.

Works Consulted

¹ Albee, Sarah. "The Color Purple." Sarah Albee Books. April 6, 2012, Web. March 16, 2014.

² Bear, Jacci Howard. "Purple Colro Meanings" About. Desktop Publishing, n.d., Web. March 16, 2014.

³ "Pyschology of the Color Purple and What It Means for Your Business." fatrabbit CREATIVE. June 28, 2012, Web. March 16, 2014.

⁴ Smith, Kate. Sensational Color. n.d., Web. March 16, 2014.

⁵ Williams, Shirley. "The Many Meanings of Violet / Purple." Color Wheel Artist. n.d., Web. March 15, 2014.

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