Further ideas generation: History of purple

During out art portfolio class, I wanted to look at the history of purple and the origins of it. I looked at different countries and how each one discovered or used the colour purple. 

Looking deeply into purple can be very overwhelming as it has various interpretations. Therefore, I decided to look deeply into the history of purple today and then choose one specific part of the history of purple and use it to develop my work. I want to choose one specific theme that I can proceed with to develop and enhance my work. 

I will be briefly looking at different historical events related to purple and then I will choose 2-3 to proceed with. 

Chinchero, Peru
In the village of Chinchero, located in Peru, women placed a heap of grey scale insect also known as cochineal which they collected from local special of cactus. Crushing the insects in a pile, adding some wood ashes on the insects’ body, the colour turned from red to blue-purple. They used this colour to produce very pigmented textiles that were famous for their rich colours.
They figured out that those specific insects could produce colour when they crushed them between their fingers and they got red stains. I found this story very fascinating as it shows how purple was produced in textiles in Peru.

The ancient Phoenicians
The ancient Phoenicians, 3000 years ago, would extract the secretion of the seashells also known as Bolinus Brandaris. The seashells were found on the eastern Mediterranean and could produce pigmented purple dues that did not fade. These dyes were very unique and special as over time they would get even more pigmented. Exposure to air and sun would increase their brilliance instead of fading. This shade of purple was also known as the Tyrian Purple.

Origin 

Purple is considered one of the most expensive colours in history which is why it is usually associated with wealth and royalty. The colour was not found in nature; therefore, it was really expensive and rare to find. As it was very expensive, only wealthy people were able to purchase clothes or fabrics using this colour which is why it is linked to royalty. 

Purple is a colour considered sacred as it was rare in nature. The exotic colour was found rarely which is why it was considered so special and unique. The dye came from the city of Tyre which is now also known as Lebanon. In order to yield a small amount of dye, a massive amount of mucus was needed.

In mythology however, it says that Hercules’ dog discovered the colour purple after he picked a murex snail that was drooling purple. In Greek mythology, it is explained that their dog accidentally stumbled across the purple dye. Hercules was on his way to canoodle with a nymph when his dog stumbled across the dye. The nymph also saw the purple dye and demanded a garment with the same rich colour.

The word 'purple' originates from the Latin 'purpura' and from the ancient greek 'porphyra'. This was the name of the Tyrian purple dye manufactured. 

Royalty
In Rome, Egypt and Persia the colour purple was considered very honourable and a gesture of respect. It represented spirituality and the leaders that wore the colour purple were considered descendants of the gods.
Many empresses in the Byzantine Empire gave birth in the ‘Purple Chamber’. It was called purple chamber as the children were ‘born to the purple’ as a means of separating them from those who seized the title. The colour purple was used by kings and emperors mostly as it represented their wealth. The kings only allowed senators to wear a stripe of purple on their togas.
The colour purple and the association to royalty was extended till the Elizabethan era. People in England in different society classes were not allowed to wear certain colours, fabrics or clothes. The colour purple specifically was not allowed to be worn by anyone except the royal family and their really close relatives. In 1953, the tickets to queen Elizabeth’s coronation were purple which shows that even in more recent and modern years, purple can be associated with wealth.  

However, with the evolution of time and technology, the cost of purple significantly lowered and it was more common and accessible to people in lower classes in society.

Psychedelic Drug 

Purple was also associated with the psychedelic drug culture of the 1960s and 70s. Jimi Hendrix’s wrote a song called Purple Haze which is interpreted as a reference to a psychedelic drug.

Roman magistrates

Purple became the colour that was worn by the rulers of the Byzantine empire and the holy roman empire. It is evident that colour purple was very associated with purple, therefore, this does not surprise me. Purple appeared in the Neolithic era when artists used manganese and hematite powder to draw and paint animals and the outlines of their hands on the walls of caves. 

The complement colour of purple is yellow. Maybe in my own designs, I can include a colour scheme with colours that compliment one another. I can look into this at greater depth when I complete my swatches.

Stained glass

I find stained glass very fascinating and interesting which might be a good idea to implement in my own design. 

I will also be carrying out colour swatches to see the different emotions each shade evokes. 

From the themes I briefly looked at, I am interested in the themes of 'royalty', 'stained glass' and 'magic'. Stained glass is also a good way of implementing the colour purple in my designs. A theme I am also interested in exploring is 'literature'. I might look into poems or even songs that include the word purple and see how I can interpret those in my designs.