The colors blue and green now come to be analyzed both in general aspects and in the way in which they are used for paintings.
by Rodrigo Infante Tirado*
After analyzing the origin and meaning of the colors white and violet, in the second of three parts by which this article is composed, reference will be made to blue and green colors.
Blue
Its wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum is between 450 and 480 nanometers.
In nature in general it is a scarce color, and it is in some flowers, very deep algae, and in a poisonous toad of this color, called Dendrobates Azureus, which lives in southern Suriname and northern Brazil.
In the paintings it is a very stable color to light, and of medium opacity, being a very frequent color in its use, and with many fantasy names, such as Pacific Blue, Ultramarine Blue <as is what the Europeans said because it came from behind the sea, that is, from Afghanistan>, Prussian Blue <because it came from there> , and Sky Blue, which gave rise to the term that says, "he who wants blue to cost him", this was due to the expensive blue pigment.
It is the official residence of the president of South Korea, and is known as the Blue House.
The Greeks believed that the color blue originated in the hair of the Nereids, who are the daughters of the Ocean.
We visualize the sky blue due to the depth of it, which diverts visible light closer to the ultraviolet; in the evenings we perceive the sky of a red-yellowish color by the tangentiality of sunlight, and the earth is called the blue planet.
Cyanide, one of the most powerful poisons, stains the corpses a bluish color, due to the absence of red blood cells in the blood, where all of it becomes venous blood that is a bluish color, because it reacts with hemoglobin forming a cyano-compound of celestial color, while arterial blood rich in oxygen is reddish.
In the Qur'an it is described as a magical color, which can attract happiness and misfortune, and in Asia it is associated with mourning and destruction.
Blue eyes in people come from the genetics of both parents, that is, they are recessive genes, which means that both parents must have blue eyes, and if one of them does not have them, the blue gene does not represent the phenotype, but only the genotype.
Some barbarians had blue eyes, and were painted with this color, causing horror to the Romans.
It was a pigment for the painters of the Middle Ages, very expensive and scarce, and they obtained it in ancient times by grinding the mineral called Pencil Lazuli, with vegetable oils, for this reason it is not observed in cave paintings, while the Aztecs did use it in their paintings.
Also in modern times, Cobalt blue was used, which was obtained from a metallic organ compound, as well as Prussian blue, and copper phthalocyanin blue, which is the one used today in paintings.
Methylene blue was used in the past as a medicine for diseases of the oral mucosa.
Blue is the symbol of nobility and peace, which is why this color is used in international institutions such as the UN, where their soldiers wear it on their helmets, and it is on the flag of the European community; perhaps for this reason Chilean airlines, such as Latam and Sky use blue as part of the institutional colors for its meaning of safety and seriousness.
The sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, was painted and embedded parts of it with Lazuli Pencil, as a sign of power and nobility, as well as as as a sign of mourning.
It is said that the color blue encourages intuition in people, and that is why shirts of this color are so popular, as well as in school uniforms.
Overseas blue, which means "from the other side of the sea", is perhaps one of the oldest known pigments, it was obtained in the past from Lapis lazuli taken from the mines of Afghanistan, in Badakschan, and already 6,000 years ago, they supplied this mineral to the Babylonians and Sumerians, for the manufacture of cosmetics, paintings and jewelry. This mineral is also found today in Chile, Canada and China, but its use today is only in the manufacture of jewelry.
Also by way of history, another of the ancient pigments of scarlet color, neighbor of blue, which is a sign of power and importance, was obtained by the Aztecs and the Mayans from an insect called Cochineal, which lives in the Nopales, plant of the cactus family, native to Mexico. In the pyramids of Teotihuacán (1,650 years D.C.), north of mexico city, lime stuccos colored with this pigment are observed to this day, which has a great solidity to the weather and sunlight.
The indigo blue color of the Blue Jeans was chosen by the tailor Isaac Levi Strauss, in 1872, when he was awarded a large order for workwear for the US government, where he chose the color blue for its high resistance to washing, being its color very popular until today.
The tale of Prince Charming, was born from a Romanian legend in the nineteenth century of a fairy tale called the Prince Charming of Tears.
As for the colors of cars globally, it is believed that Blue occupies the 5th place with 9%, after the gray that occupies the 4th place, with 13%, however in India and in Europe in general, it occupies the 4th place with 11%.
Green
Its wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum ranges from 510 to 570 nanometers.
In the paintings it is a beautiful color that has frequent use, of great stability to sunlight, and of great opacity.
Green is like the previous to the mature, that is why it is said "you are green for this", that is why also the green color is that of hope and good luck, being for this reason the color of the dollar and the bill of a thousand pesos, that of the tapestries of the tables of the games of chance, that of the grass of the soccer fields, that of the surgeons, that of the road signs, that of the leaves of the plants that oxygenate the planet that are the source of life, and the green of the eyes of women, which give hope.
The oxygen of the planet is generated by green vegetables, because they contain a pigment of this color called Chlorophyll, which produces oxygen by reaction with sunlight.
It is the most popular color within nature, and the most difficult to obtain synthetically.
Eastern cultures, such as the Egyptian, achieved this by mixing blue jasmine with yellow saffron.
One of the most famous gemstones is the Emerald, where its beautiful greenish color is due to the Chrome and Vanadium that is in it.
Green fireworks are made from barium salts, which when burned generate flames of this color.
The famous "green tea" of the Chinese, corresponds to the classic tea, but without roasting, where its active ingredients, especially the anti-oxidants, remain in it.
In the Qur'an, it is said that the blessed will wear green robes in Eden.
In Chile, the expression "Viejo Verde" refers to men over 65 years of age, who are dedicated to seducing young women, which they define as "green grass".
The environmental movements of the 80s acquired it as a symbol of respect for the environment.
It is always associated with vegetation, with the principle of life, development, growth and expansion, since it is the symbol of good luck.
Wormwood, the drink that intoxicated so many French poets in the late nineteenth century, was also known as the "Green Fairy", thanks to its intense green color; it was also called "Green Bird" to the alcoholic beverage manufactured by the prisoners based on paints and varnishes.
The "Green Light" is associated with approval, and road passage around the world, which is why it is used at traffic lights.
It is synonymous with bad luck on theatrical stages, and on marine boats, however it is good luck in gambling, and that is why the mats of the game rooms are green, and the dollar too.
According to psychologists the color green, has a calming effect, relaxing the body and mind, relieving nervous disorders, offering a sense of renewal.
The green color of glass containers, especially that of red wines, preserves its characteristics better, because it decreases the passage of light.
As for the colors of cars worldwide, it is believed that Green is only 1%, however in Russia for its meaning, it ranks second with 18%.
* Rodrigo Infante Tirado holds a degree in Chemistry from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. You can write to the email: [email protected]
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