Black is the color of coal, ebony, and of outer space. It is the darkest color, the result of the absence of or complete absorption of light. It is the opposite of white and often represents darkness in contrast with light. Black was one of the first colors used by artists in neolithic cave paintings. In the 14th century, it began to be worn by royalty, the clergy, judges and government officials in much of Europe. It became the color worn by English romantic poets, businessmen and statesmen in the 19th century, and a high fashion color in the 20th century. As in the Western World today, it is also the color most commonly associated with mourning, evil, magic, the end, violence, power, secrets, and elegance.
- History -
Black was one of the first colors used in art. The Lascaux Cave in France contains drawings of bulls and other animals drawn by paleolithic artists between 18,000 and 17,000 years ago. They began by using charcoal, and then made more vivid black pigments by burning bones or grinding a powder of manganese oxide. For the ancient Egyptians, black had very positive associations. it was the color of the rich black soil flooded by the Nile. It was the color of Anubis, the god of the underworld, who took the form of a black jackal, and offered protection against evil to the dead. For the ancient Greeks, black was also the color of the underworld, separated from the world of the living by the river Acheron, whose water was black. In Latin, the word for black, ater and to darken, atere, were associated with cruelty, brutality and evil. The German and Scandinavian peoples worshipped their own goddess of the night, Nótt, who crossed the sky in a chariot drawn by a black horse.
Black was one of the first colors used in art. The Lascaux Cave in France contains drawings of bulls and other animals drawn by paleolithic artists between 18,000 and 17,000 years ago. They began by using charcoal, and then made more vivid black pigments by burning bones or grinding a powder of manganese oxide. For the ancient Egyptians, black had very positive associations. it was the color of the rich black soil flooded by the Nile. It was the color of Anubis, the god of the underworld, who took the form of a black jackal, and offered protection against evil to the dead. For the ancient Greeks, black was also the color of the underworld, separated from the world of the living by the river Acheron, whose water was black. In Latin, the word for black, ater and to darken, atere, were associated with cruelty, brutality and evil. The German and Scandinavian peoples worshipped their own goddess of the night, Nótt, who crossed the sky in a chariot drawn by a black horse.
In the early Middle Ages, black was commonly associated with darkness and evil. In Medieval paintings, the devil was usually depicted as having human form, but with wings and black skin or hair. In fashion, black did not have the prestige of red, the color of the nobility. It was worn by Benedictine monks as a sign of humility and penitence. In the 12th century a famous theological dispute broke out between the Cistercian monks, who wore white, and the Benedictines, who wore black. A Benedictine abbot, Pierre the Venerable, accused the Cistercians of excessive pride in wearing white instead of black. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the founder of the Cistercians responded that black was the color of the devil, hell, "of death and sin," while white represented "purity, innocence and all the virtues". Black symbolized both power and secrecy in the medieval world. The emblem of the Holy Roman Empire of Germany was a black eagle. The black knight in the poetry of the Middle Ages was an enigmatic figure, hiding his identity, usually wrapped in secrecy. Black was the color of the industrial revolution, largely fueled by coal, and later by oil. A different kind of black was an important part of the romantic movement in literature. Black was the color of melancholy, the dominant theme of romanticism. The novels of the period were filled with castles, ruins, dungeons, storms, and meetings at midnight. Black dominated literature and fashion in the 19th century, and played a large role in painting. In the 20th century, black was the color of Italian and German fascism.
- Fashion -
In the early Middle Ages, princes, nobles and the wealthy usually wore bright colors, particularly scarlet cloaks from Italy. Black was rarely part of the wardrobe of a noble family. The one exception was the fur of the sable. This glossy black fur, from an animal of the marten family, was the finest and most expensive fur in Europe. It was imported from Russia and Poland and used to trim the robes and gowns of royalty. In the 14th century, the status of black began to change. First, high-quality black dyes began to arrive on the market, allowing garments of a deep, rich black. Magistrates and government officials began to wear black robes, as a sign of the importance and seriousness of their positions. The change to the more austere but elegant black was quickly picked up by the kings and nobility. It began in northern Italy, then spread to France, moved to England nd Spain. In the 18th century, during the European Age of Enlightenment, black receded as a fashion color. Paris became the fashion capital, and pastels, blues, greens, yellow and white became the colors of the nobility and upper classes. But after the French Revolution, black again became the dominant color. The invention of new, inexpensive synthetic black dyes and the industrialization of the textile industry meant that good-quality black clothes were available for the first time to the general population. In the 19th century gradually black became the most popular color of business dress of the upper and middle classes in England, the Continent, and America. In the 1950s, black came to be a symbol of individuality and intellectual and social rebellion, the color of those who didn't accept established norms and values. By the end of the 20th century, black was the emblematic color of the punk subculture punk fashion, and the goth subculture. Goth fashion, which emerged in England in the 1980s, was inspired by Victorian era mourning dress. In men's fashion, black gradually ceded its dominance to navy blue, particularly in business suits. Black evening dress and formal dress in general were worn less and less. Women's fashion was revolutionized and simplified in 1926 by the French designer Coco Chanel, who published a drawing of a simple black dress in Vogue magazine.
In the early Middle Ages, princes, nobles and the wealthy usually wore bright colors, particularly scarlet cloaks from Italy. Black was rarely part of the wardrobe of a noble family. The one exception was the fur of the sable. This glossy black fur, from an animal of the marten family, was the finest and most expensive fur in Europe. It was imported from Russia and Poland and used to trim the robes and gowns of royalty. In the 14th century, the status of black began to change. First, high-quality black dyes began to arrive on the market, allowing garments of a deep, rich black. Magistrates and government officials began to wear black robes, as a sign of the importance and seriousness of their positions. The change to the more austere but elegant black was quickly picked up by the kings and nobility. It began in northern Italy, then spread to France, moved to England nd Spain. In the 18th century, during the European Age of Enlightenment, black receded as a fashion color. Paris became the fashion capital, and pastels, blues, greens, yellow and white became the colors of the nobility and upper classes. But after the French Revolution, black again became the dominant color. The invention of new, inexpensive synthetic black dyes and the industrialization of the textile industry meant that good-quality black clothes were available for the first time to the general population. In the 19th century gradually black became the most popular color of business dress of the upper and middle classes in England, the Continent, and America. In the 1950s, black came to be a symbol of individuality and intellectual and social rebellion, the color of those who didn't accept established norms and values. By the end of the 20th century, black was the emblematic color of the punk subculture punk fashion, and the goth subculture. Goth fashion, which emerged in England in the 1980s, was inspired by Victorian era mourning dress. In men's fashion, black gradually ceded its dominance to navy blue, particularly in business suits. Black evening dress and formal dress in general were worn less and less. Women's fashion was revolutionized and simplified in 1926 by the French designer Coco Chanel, who published a drawing of a simple black dress in Vogue magazine.
- In Nature -
The black mamba of Africa is one of the most venomous snakes, as well as the fastest-moving snake in the world. The name comes from the black color inside the mouth. The black widow spider, or lactrodectus. The females frequently eat their male partners after mating. The female's venom is at least three times more potent than that of the males, making a male's self-defense bite ineffective. A black panther is actually a melanistic leopard or jaguar, the result an excess of melanin in their skin caused by a recessive gene. The American crow is one of the most intelligent of all animals. A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping.
The black mamba of Africa is one of the most venomous snakes, as well as the fastest-moving snake in the world. The name comes from the black color inside the mouth. The black widow spider, or lactrodectus. The females frequently eat their male partners after mating. The female's venom is at least three times more potent than that of the males, making a male's self-defense bite ineffective. A black panther is actually a melanistic leopard or jaguar, the result an excess of melanin in their skin caused by a recessive gene. The American crow is one of the most intelligent of all animals. A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping.
- Associations -
Black mass, black cat, Devil, witches, ink, night, darkness, mourning, power, solemnity, Blackberry, Ford Model T, depression, little black dress, smoking jacket, Black Friday, blacklist, black comedy, black propaganda, black tea, noir, black metal, black knight.
- Names -
Abda, Adham, Adrian, Adriana, Alva, Blake, Ciara, Kiara
- In music/cinema/literature/art -
''Black square'' by Kasimir Malevich, ''Black swan'' by Darren Aronofsky, ''The Black Orchid'' with S. Loren and A. Quinn, comics ''The Men in black'', Black Eyed Peas, casino game Blackjack.
Source: Wikipedia
Black mass, black cat, Devil, witches, ink, night, darkness, mourning, power, solemnity, Blackberry, Ford Model T, depression, little black dress, smoking jacket, Black Friday, blacklist, black comedy, black propaganda, black tea, noir, black metal, black knight.
- Names -
Abda, Adham, Adrian, Adriana, Alva, Blake, Ciara, Kiara
- In music/cinema/literature/art -
''Black square'' by Kasimir Malevich, ''Black swan'' by Darren Aronofsky, ''The Black Orchid'' with S. Loren and A. Quinn, comics ''The Men in black'', Black Eyed Peas, casino game Blackjack.
Source: Wikipedia