1. Intro     2. Ancient Egypt     3. Colorants & dyes     4. Modern art

Introduction Blue is the color of sky and water. The blue of water - the color of depth - impersonates the female principle. Blue of the skies used to be associated with the male principle. It is the color of all heavenly gods and stands for distance, for the divine, for the spiritual (voiced particularly by W. Kandinsky). This interpretation goes back to ancient Egyptians and was taken on by later cultures. Skin of Egyptian god Amun was rendered blue. The blue color in Mary's's mantle in "The Annunciation" by an unknown master links Heaven and Earth, proximity and distance and also the Divine and the Mundane. Archangel Gabriel brings the tidings of the conception, the Blue of Mary's mantle can be seen in this context as a symbol of purity. Blue has remained the symbol of fidelity till our times, as fidelity can be proven only from distance, where the opportunity for unfaithfulness awaits. Blue flowers, such as forget-me-nots and violets symbolize faithfulness. According to an old english custom, the bride wears blue ribbons in her wedding gown and a blue saphire in her wedding ring. Tiny flowers of blue speedwell are part of the wedding bouquet .

Anonymous, The Annunciation, Egg tempera, 1490 (show full screen)

Several companies have blue logos, including ARAL, Deutsche Bank, Levis, and Nivea. The Nivea cover is made with synthetic ultramarine.

Effects of the color Blue Blue invokes dreamlike states, it instills yearnings and has a calming effect, it leads to a serious inward outlook. Yves Klein's monochrome paintings can be seen along the same lines. Blue is the color of the heart and has a positive connotation. Unpleasant things of life, such as parking tickets, train tickets or the "blue letters" ("blaue Briefe" in German) announcing dismissal from work or not passing to the next grade in school are colored blue so they are accepted more readily. Blue and red are the favourite colors of the Germans, which (together with its positive connotation) explains the frequent use of blue color in advertising. Blue color suggests cleanliness and freshness in household products such as detergents, blue drinks are cool and light.  The Blue Flower of Romanticism The blue flower was a popular motif of Romantic poetry. The hero of Novalis' fragmentary novel "Heinrich von Ofterdingen" (1802) dreams of a blue flower instilling momentuous yearning in his soul. Novalis' poetic symbolism of the color blue is perceived by the reader intuitively: thinking of the color blue brings about a dreamlike yearning and produces both a feeling of calmness and of security.

Learn about the following blues       (main blues page) - Azurite - cobalt blue - Egyptian blue - Indigo - Prussian blue       smalt - Ultramarine - Cerulean Blue