Colour plays a pivotal role in every facet of life. Dictating our moods, displaying one’s status, erudition, religion, reverence for the past and the future. Yet, the evolution of colour has been approached on a strictly intuitive level. Although taste, symbolic resonance and rarity play a large role in the popularity of a colour, there is an undeniable factor that is crucial to any understanding of colour. Science.
Our human ability to perceive colour was adapted as an aid to navigate our natural environment, which is arguably why colours found in the natural world have always been a source of satisfaction. From children to adults, everyone finds pleasure in looking and working with colour. There is, however, a difference with the application of colours on a canvas in the West, to ceramics of the East. Countries and cultures inherent different symbolisms and associations with colour. For the artist, they must ask what is colour for? For the designer, they ask what can colour do?
Throughout history, colour has been used in various ways and in different spaces, mediums, and styles, so much so that it would be impossible to suggest any single colour as characteristic to one symbolic meaning. A single colour may have multiple meanings attached, from various parts of the world and various parts of history. This connection between chemistry, symbolism, nature, and history form the important constituting parts of what makes up colour and why it is so important to us.
In this series on the symbolism of colour, we continue with the colour green.
Green symbolises life. Whether it’s fertility, rebirth or nature, the colour green has existed for thousands of years as a symbol of life itself. Contrary to red, our human psyche associates green with peace and security. It is a colour that calms the brain and relaxes the eye due to its position as a secondary colour, balanced between the happy yellow and sad blue. Across time, civilisation, and religion, green has been heralded as sacred, inspiring peace and evoking feelings of growth and prosperity. Yet amongst the leaves where green reigns supreme, the colour holds another symbolic meaning with less positive connotations: envy and jealousy.
Although green primarily evokes positive emotions it can be perceived negatively when associated with greed and jealousy. In literature, green was first used by William Shakespeare in the expression “green-eyed monster” in Othello and the Merchant of Venice. Furthermore, the famous expression “green with envy” solidifies the colour with negative connotations. Though the origin of this phrase is unclear, it is likely linked to physical illness, when someone’s complexation turns green, implying that envy is an illness of its own. In the 18th century, green colour pigments were highly poisonous. Carl Wilhelm Scheele’s toxic green wallpaper may have contributed to the death of Napoleon Bonaparte, and another variant, Paris Green, was to blame for Claude Monet’s blindness and other health issues.
Greens positive symbolic meanings resonate with feelings of calm and can induce a sense of serenity in its viewer. At the centre of the colour spectrum, green falls naturally into a space of balance and equilibrium. In China, the precious stone jade holds great significance as a symbol of fortune, prosperity, and purity. Its significance dates back to the late Neolithic periods of the Hongshan culture and was first described in the 2nd century CE. The stone itself also symbolises balance in feng shui and the life force that connects all living things. This symbol of green as the vessel through which all life is connected is also expressed in the art of ancient Egypt. Egyptian artists used malachite in the tombs of King Tutankhamun and Nefatari to depict symbols of the afterlife and their green-skinned god Osiris, ruler of the underworld, rebirth, and regeneration. Jade was also revered by other civilisations for its symbolic associations with life and death. In Mesoamerican cultures such as the Olmec and the Maya, jade was used in a variety of objects, often depicting deities. The value of jade transcended material worth. Its colour, which mirrors both the green-blue water of the sea and the green of vegetation perhaps gave the stone its spiritual importance.
The balancing power of green was incorporated into interior spaces. During the Art Nouveau period, green was a frequent source of inspiration. Muted, sombre sage, olive green and brown were incorporated into pattern design, the decorations of walls, and household objects. Many designers from this period drew inspiration from the natural world and the harmonising palette of organic green. The movement sought to emphasise and celebrate nature, weaving in plants, flowers, and trees. The Peacock Room, created by James Abbot McNeill Whistler is a masterpiece of interior decorative art, marrying deep soothing blue-green with Chinese motifs and pieces of art. The style of this space would anticipate the Art Nouveau style, of intricate decoration and a unified green palette.
In Islam, green is also a sacred colour representing numerous traditions within the religion. In the Qur’an, green is the colour of paradise. ‘Akhdar (green in Arabic) is mentioned up to eight times in Quranic verses, “Upon them will be green garments of fine silk” (18:31), “Reclining on green cushions” (55:76). In Islamic art and architecture green is used to represent the prophet Muhammad. The Green Dome in Medina is built over the tombs of the prophet Muhammad and Rashidun Caliphs. It was first painted green in 1837 as it was the colour the prophet wore, and therefore a symbol of faith.
In nature, green is the most common colour. Chlorophyll provides nature with its colouring, from cool mints to warmer forest brown, dark, bright and rich tones of green occupy our natural landscapes. The history of the colour and its symbolic meanings are all inextricably linked to nature with all its merits and perils. In many cultures across the world, green symbolises the harmony of nature. Impressionist artists employed green in their paintings to immerse the viewer, creating generous layers of visible brushstrokes, a fleeting impression of light and movement. This was achieved through a method called “en plein air”, in which an artist would surround themselves in the environment they intended to paint, capturing how light and colour changed in front of their eyes. This attention to the outdoors gave birth to the fauvist movement, the “wild beasts” who used bold, complementary colours to conjure up an individual and emotional response to nature.
Since the 1980s, green has become a political symbol for the environmental movement. Green is the colour of the “green revolution”, symbolising the renewal and the importance of the environment around us, particularly in the age of the 21st century climate crisis. Before this, green symbolised several meanings that are deeply rooted in Irish political history and culture. The Irish identity is bound up with this colour, a symbol of their heritage and pride. The enigmatic “Green Man” appears frequently on medieval church cravings and distilleries, with foliate forms spilling from his mouth. Celtic knots such as the Oaktree are often depicted green in connection to the spirits of ancestors, roots, and the natural world, and the four-leaf clover a symbol of Irish luck.
Understanding the symbolism behind colours in art and design can create a more effective and meaningful connection between you and your desired antiques. Across time and culture, colour has created visually compelling experiences, evoking emotional responses and conveying subliminal messages. With your now extensive knowledge of the colour green, explore the Nicholas Wells website to find your perfect touch of colour, or read more on our other deep dives in colour symbolism.
All images show pieces available on the Nicholas Wells website.
Written by Daisy Watson
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