Welcome to this post-viewing discussion of Civilisations! Episode 7 ('Radiance’) was presented by Simon Schama, and explores the role of colour in different civilisations across the globe. In it, Simon traces the association of colour with spiritual rapture as well as with sensory pleasure over several centuries. Starting with the great cathedrals of medieval France and ending with Matisse’s chapel at Vence, the programme also takes in the work of Venetian artists such as Titian and Tiepolo, Hindu images from Jodhpur in India and Japanese woodcuts. The way that different civilisations use and value colour is also shown to be shaped by cross-cultural connections; the brilliant ultramarine blue in paintings such as Titian’s Bacchus and Ariadne, you might like to know, comes from lapis lazuli mined in Afghanistan (the word ‘ultramarine’ means ‘beyond the sea’).
Which brings us to the discussion I will be moderating live between 12-2pm on Friday, 13th April. Join in by posting a response in the Comments section below (select 'save' to send your comment).
Were you struck more by the similarities or the differences between the ways that the civilisations explored in the programme used and valued colour? It’s worth thinking about this question not just in relation to colour as such but also in relation to particular colours: blue, gold, red and so on. Which of the many vividly coloured art works shown in the programme made the biggest impression on you and why? And what did you make of the different media and techniques involved: stained glass, oil painting, carpets, prints and so on?
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Heather Kelly - 13 April 2018 1:11pm
Do you think that the primary colours of blue, red and yellow seem to be the ones that appeal most universally?
May be there is a scientific reason for this linked to the way the eye works?
Emma Barker - 13 April 2018 1:44pm
Yes, thanks, that might be the case. I'm afraid I don't know about the scientific basis of our perception of colours. I do know though that not every culture recognises the primary colours - in fact, the earliest colour words that civilisations acquire are (according to the anthropologists Brent Berlin and Paul Kay) black, white and red. Blue is not recognised by many civilisations, so for example Homer referred in his poems to the 'wine-dark sea' because he didn't have a word for blue. Also different civilisations identify colours differently - many don't have a word for pink because it's just seen as a form of light red, for example. The cultural differences in the perception of colour are, I think, at least as interesting as the similarities and continuities.
Andreas Baeder - 13 April 2018 12:22pm
A couple of aspects of colour and cultural meaning seem interesting to me and worth discussing. One is that there are certain colours which are so unique -- if you see THE ultramarine blue you instantly know whether it's the real thing or not. Accessing these most intense and bright colours seems to have been very important for artists in many different cultures, and it seems it's sort of a statement of artistic prowess, even in Matisse (I'm the best because I have the brightest blue?). But that isn't just because of their own personal choices. It also has to do with the expression of power -- who has access to the best pigments via trade/commerce.
Another is the quesiton of how we 'see' . Do you think it's possible to 'see' colour the way people of other cultures do?
Emma Barker - 13 April 2018 12:42pm
Yes, absolutely, The particularity of certain colours is really important, as is the way that they are caught up in global networks of trade and power. Another example that comes to mind is cochineal - a bright red pigment that is made from insects unique to the Americas, which was used both as money and as a statement of power by the Aztecs and the Incas. During the colonial era, it became a highly valued commodity and was used by many artists including Titian - in fact by many of the most famous artists in European history. It was widely used for dyeing of fabrics across the globe.
Does anyone else have any thoughts on particular colours? Perhaps the reasons why a particular colour appeals especially to you.