One of the lightest and achromatic colors having no hue is the white color. It is the opposite of the color black and is the color of chalk, milk, and snow. Objects which are painted with white color have the ability to reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light thoroughly.
Interesting facts about color white
First-ever colors to be used in art – white was among the first-ever colors used for art and crafts, along with prehistoric cave drawings. The Lascaux, in France, features marks and images drawn with chalk and calcite.
An achromatic color with no hue – unlike the various other colors of a spectrum and most of their mixtures, the color white usually lacks shade. It is thus considered an achromatic color.
It does not absorb colors – the white color is the opposite of black. Thus unlike the color black, which can absorb all the visible wavelengths of the light, the color white reflects and scatters all the visible wavelengths of a given light.
A color with wide-ranging symbolism – white has a wide range of symbolism in different cultures. For example, in the west, white is usually associated with innocence and virginity and is traditionally worn by the brides on their wedding days. However, in Asian countries, the color white is often symbolized as a color of mourning.
The connection with the goddess Isis – in ancient Egypt, the color white was often connected with the goddess Isis. Usually, this color was worn by the priests and priestesses of this goddess, and the mummies were wrapped with white clothes too.
The association with mother’s milk – in various ancient civilizations and Greece, the white was generally associated with a mother’s milk. According to Greek mythology, the chief god Zeus got his nourishment from the breast of Amalthea. Also, in the Talmud, milk was considered one of the four most sacred substances, along with honey, rose, and wine.
The fundamental color – according to the ancient Greeks, white was considered an accurate color. Several famous painters of ancient Greece, including Apelles, used only four shades of colors for their paintings: white, yellow, black, and red.
A color symbolizes purity, sacrifice, and virtue – several early Christian churches adopted the roman symbolization of white, stating it as the color of purity, integrity, and sacrifice. Soon it became the color worn among the priests during Mass.
A color symbolizing the transfiguration – along with various other symbolizations of the color white, this color was also used as a symbol of transfiguration. The Gospel of the saint mark often describes the clothing of Jesus during this event as a shining and exceeding white similar to snow.
The white lamb – in the postclassical history art illustrations, the white lamb has been shown as a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of the whole of humanity.
White color being the fundamental color is a myth – earlier, most scientists believed that the color white serves as the real color of light. Still, in the year 1666, Isaac Newton proved that the white-colored light could be broken up into different composite colors just bypassing the light through a prism, followed by a second prism to reassemble them.
The most dominating color in the baroque period – during the baroque period, white was considered the most dominating color used for the architectural interiors and the Rococo style, which lasted up to the 18th century. The interiors of churches were designed to show power, glory, and wealth. Unified with white, the church’s interiors seemed to be more alive, asymmetry, along with mirrors, curves, statuary, and gildings.
The most fashionable color of the era – after the French revolution, the color white originated as the most fashionable color of the century as many women heavily invested in their white-colored clothes.
The universal color for underwear and sheets – during the 18th and 19th centuries, white was considered the versatile color of underwear and sheets for both men and women. This color was so dominating that it was unthinkable to own the sheets and underwear of any different color.
The white unicorn – the white unicorn was a prevalent subject for various paintings, tapestries, and manuscripts in history. It was considered a symbol of innocence, grace, and purity.
The use of color in the world of marketing and branding – several companies, use the color white in their marketing and branding strategies. This color conveys the feeling of purity, safety, cleanliness, and freshness and creates excellent contrasts. Some of the big brands that use a great deal of this color in their marketing and logo design are Gap, Lego, fisher price, ford, Michelin, Starbucks, Volkswagen, and Levi’s.
The use of color white in web designing – with the help of Newton’s theory of white light refraction, in a web design, a true white can be created by using the hex code of #FFFFFF along with a maximum value of blue, green, and red colors in an RGB model of 255, 255 and 255.
Clouds – the composition of a cloud contains water droplets or ice crystals mixed with air. A very little light striking these particles is also absorbed, but most of these lights are scattered, and hence the cloud appears white in colors to our eyes.
Snow – the snows are generally a mixture of air with tiny ice crystals. When white sunlight enters through it, a minimal amount of this spectrum gets absorbed, and the remaining light gets reflected and scattered by the water molecules and air. Thus, the snow appears white to our eyes, but sometimes, the light bounces inside the ice crystals before it gets scattered, making the snow appear sparkly.
The meaning of white – white has been considered as a compelling color in both culture and psychology. This color is often used to oppose the black color’s dark associations. The color white can represent both possibility and nothingness and is a good signifier of sophistication, simplicity, and good taste. In several contexts, this color represents sterility, coolness, and cleanliness.
The role of white in the healthcare industry – during the early 1900s, healthcare professionals started to wear white coats to avoid infection and maintain hygiene. This color correctly shows the dirt and germs better.
The white color can say a lot about someone’s personality – the colors play a huge role in knowing someone’s lifestyle and personality. People having white as their favorite color generally love order and cleanliness. Their homes are clothes immaculate, and they generally tend to be a very cautious buyer and a shrewd trader. One of the negative traits they might have is being very critical and fussy.
Why white is called white – some consider the white color to be white because this color comprises all the hues present in the visible spectrum of the light.
White is not a natural color – scientists do not consider the color white as a natural color as it is not present in the spectrum. This color is a result of our eyes mixing the wavelengths of light.
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