Purple

Alternate uses: Purple (disambiguation)

Purple is any of a group of colors intermediate between blue and red. On a chromaticity diagram, the straight line connecting the extreme spectral colors (red and violet) is known as the line of purples (or purple boundary); it represents one limit of human color perception. The color magenta used in the CMYK printing process is on the line of purples, but most people associate the term "purple" with a somewhat bluer shade.

Symbolism

Purple sometimes symbolizes royalty, dating back to Roman times, when clothing dyed with Tyrian purple was limited to the upper classes. It was the favorite color of many kings and queens.

In the 1800's William Perkins invented mauve, a shade of purple, from coal oil. It quickly became popular among all classes, and sparked major industrial development in the German chemical industry.

Purple as one of the liturgical colours in Christian symbolism can express sorrow and mourning.

A light purple or lavender often symbolises feminism or male homosexuality.

In politics in the Netherlands, purple means a government coalition of right-liberals and socialists (symbolized by blue and red, respectively), as opposed to the more common coalitions of the Christian center-party with one of the other two. From 1994–2002 there have been two purple cabinets—see also Politics of the Netherlands and Paars (the Dutch word for "purple").

Color Coordinates

See also

• list of terms associated with the color purple