The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1888-05-02
LANGUAGE OF coLORs.
Ideas and Sentiments which Are ExpS-ssed
by Different Huea.

Ideas and ECulirue nfa " nlfh Are ETnB@anef
by Different Hu-s-
The three primary colors, red. blu,
and yellow. are the base OF the Ian,
guage. and the secondary lines, from
the blending Of which tho most com
plicated and delicate tints are derived,
correspond to the grammatical root.
IF spoken tongues.
Rel Is a warm color. Its type ],
found in the rainbow or priSmatiC
spectrum and the common wild poppy.
Il is indicative of iubilation, victory
and ardent love. BY the law Of oppO-
sites. that is to say, on the old principle
that extremes meet, il is the emblem
Of bloodshed and revenge.
In me liRval art. blue was emineutlv
svmbolicaL Azure was typical of i'm
mortality. and il became the custom to
cover the collins of children with blue
clo.h. The ceiling Of churches were
painted blue and powdered with stars,
to represent the canopy Of heaven over
the faithful This color was used in
drapcries by the old masters to typify
moJesty; and the Virgin Mary is found
in their works clothed in blue mantle.
In heroic shields blue stood for chastity.
loyalty and good rcputc. From this
last Specification. doubtless. the term
"bluc blood took its rise.
Love, constancy and wisdom are the
attributes Of yellow. This tint is found
In all its winsome purity in the COM
mon blttcrcup Of the pastures. In
China, yellow is emblSmatic Of faith
On the other hand, yellow stands for
treason aud jealousy. In Spain. the
garb Of the public exccutiOner is red and
yellow. and symbolizes the vengeance
81 the law and the infamv Of the crimi-
nal In the Olden time the French were
accustomed TO daub the lintelS of a
traitors house with yellow paint and
iu commemOrlti0a Of Christ's betrayal,
Jews were obliged in many countries
90 wear garments of the same color.
Judas. in the Illuminated missals Of the
middle ages, was always pictured in
yellow raimeat
The secondary colors are equally
pregnant with significance. Brown,
ever since the mos remote period, has
been the sign of woe The dun robes
Of certain religious orders are eloquent
Of remuneration and penitence. Green.
among all nations, is considered en-
blematic Of the JOY of spring aad the
promise Of harvest. With the Greeks
il brto&enel victory. The standards
Of Mahamet's armies were green. The
color is still held sacred by the fol
lowers % Islam. ami none but the bona
fde descendants Of AlIah's prophet
may indulge ia the luxury of green
;urhsu.
The blended hue Of red and yellow.
namely, ursBge. has been the symbol
IL indissnluble marriage from time i'm
memorial. The wife OF the priest Of
Jupiter wore an orange veil and her
divorce was prohibited. The color
thus became a felici- Gus omen. Virgil
arrays Helen Of Troy in saffron
bridal veil, and the wreath Of orange
blossoms on the heal OF the modern
belle is a survival o! the tradition.
Black, the neEation OF color. has :
universal significance az grief aud
mourning. In sacred paintings il
often looms up on the canvas As the
shallow Of evil White. on the con-
lrarv, is the he Of innocence and
virginia. purity. The priests of an
tiquity wore white vestments. and, I'M
consciously, a mother dresses her new
bern babe in clo;hinS of the same
spotlcss hue. While horses were
sacrificed to the sun by the Egyptian
priestS.-N !. Press