Before a courtesan at the court of King Louis XV, pink was considered a colour associated with boys. In contrast, blue became associated with boys during the First World War.
Pink being for girls and blue being for guys has only sometimes been the case. Pink was once identified with the male sex because of its association with life and vigour. “Pink is derived from red, and consequently red is a more aggressive colour than blue, which is more tranquil,” says Carlos Tejada, a fine arts doctor.
Madame de Pompadour adored the colour pink so much at the court of Louis XV that she made it popular. The Sevres porcelain manufacturer took note of her fondness for this colour, so much so that it named this series “pompadour pink,” associating the hue with the feminine realm. “It symbolizes compassion, childish love, and unconditional love,” visual artist Mariano Pintado explains. This continues to the present day.
Years later, during the First World War, the bravery of the Marines made the colour of their jackets synonymous with manhood. Pintado states, “Blue is a colour that exudes calm tranquillity and, above all, confidence.” The colour of the sky and the sea is difficult to locate in their natural state as raw materials for pigment production.
In Ancient Greek, there was no word for this colour. Egypt invented the first synthetic pigment in history to colour artworks with a unique shade of blue. According to Pintado, Egyptian blue emits ultraviolet radiation, which the human eye can see and detect. The progression of time alters the tenor of these meanings.
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