The Symbolism of Colours and Colour Value in the Art Market

The symbolism of colours throughout human history is intertwined with culture, religion, and social norms. Until the late Middle Ages, specific colours were used to represent the divine, nobility, and religious practice, each with positive and negative connotations. The Renaissance and Enlightenment periods challenged these traditional associations as artists used colours more freely to express ideas and emotions. Then, the modern era introduced scientific approaches, with colour psychology influencing fields like marketing and design. In this paper, we first focus on colour symbolism throughout Western civilisation, and then we examine the value of colour in the prices of auctioned paintings.