Colour
Colour is not just a pigment. Each colour has always had a symbolic meaning, different in different epochs and cultures.
Red is the colour of love both sacred and profane, Red are the clothes of Saint John the Evangelist, the beloved apostle. Red is Christ’s cloak, given him by the soldiers in mockery during his Passion.
Saint John the Baptist (1550 - 1552) by Lucas Cranach the ElderMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
Blue is not one of the liturgical colours of the Church. For its connection with the sky and the supernatural, since the 12th century it has become the colour of the Virgin’s mantle. Red and blue are the traditional colours of Mary’s clothes.
The Virgin and Child (1490 - 1500) by Andrea MantegnaMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
Saint Anthony of Padua (1502-1507 circa) by Bernardino ZenaleMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
White is associated to symbols of purity as the lily and the dove.
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino (1454-1469) by Piero della FrancescaMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
Starting from the 9th century, black, the colour of humility and penitence has become the colour of ecclesiastical robes. Afterwards, black will become the colour of elegant and expensive clothes worn by kings, princes and noblemen. It will remain fashionable until mid-17th century.
The Knight in Black (1567) by Giovanni Battista MoroniMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
Portrait of a Jesuit Missionary (1638) by Jusepe de Ribera called Lo SpagnolettoMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
