The Color White Representing Purity, Innocence and Goodness.
Madonna and Child with Saints Catherine and Thomas (sacra conversazione), Lorenzo Lotto, 1527/1533, From the collection of: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Again in the painting we see an angel watching over the infant who we can assume to be jesus. The angel is wearing white a symbolization to itself and the baby both being pure and good.
Small Triptych of St. John the Baptist, Hans Memling, 1485/1490, From the collection of: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
The only representation of white in this painting is on the angel. Angels always wear white as a symbol of goodness and representatives of heaven.
Self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath, Johan Zoffany, 1756, From the collection of: National Gallery of Victoria
The Balcony, Edouard Manet, 1868 - 1869, From the collection of: Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Woman are most often depicted in white clothing, representing purity and maybe even vulnerability. This painting shows a woman, maybe her daughter and maybe her husband. The girls are wearing white to represent their goodness and femininity.
The Crucifixion, with the Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist Mourning, Rogier van der Weyden, Netherlandish (active Tournai and Brussels), 1399/1400 - 1464, c. 1460, From the collection of: Philadelphia Museum of Art
This painting shows jesus on the cross. His white garments represent his goodness and purity.
Venus and Vulcan, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian (active Venice, Udine, Würzburg, and Madrid) 1696 - 1770, c. 1765, From the collection of: Philadelphia Museum of Art
In this painting the woman in the middle is who our eyes are immediately drawn to. She seems to be on a bed, Her robes of white and her nudity represent her purity.
For of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven, Frank Bramley, 1891, From the collection of: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
All the girls in this painting seem to be apart of the same group. They could possibly be sisters or relatives of some sort. A wealthy group of citizens and the girls being all pure and carrying flowers representing innocence.
Leonora Christina in Blaataarn. The woman is cooking porridge., Kristian Zahrtmann, 1896, From the collection of: Bornholms Kunstmuseum
The woman's night gown in the painting is white, which would imply that she is young and pure of heart. She also has a servant, implying that she is wealthy.
Summer, Auguste Renoir, 1868, From the collection of: Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
The white blouse of the girl represents her color qualities. Also her youth and age are represented in the color.
The Bath of Psyche, Frederic Lord, Leighton, 1890, From the collection of: Tate Britain
The color of the woman's robe represents her purity which is even further symbolized in her nudity.
The Lady of Shalott, John William Waterhouse, 1888, From the collection of: Tate Britain
In this picture we see a woman in a boat. Due to the high decor of the boat and the beauty of the woman it would seem that she is of noble origins. Her white dress would tell us that she is possibly unwed and represents her purity.
The Golden Age, Benjamin West, 1776, From the collection of: Tate Britain
In this picture we can see a baby, a woman close to it who would appear to be a nurse or caretaker of the child and possibly the child's parents in the back. The color white and its qualities are often portrayed unto doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, John Singer Sargent, Around 1885, From the collection of: Tate Britain
Here we see two girls in a flower patch playing with paper lanterns. The flowers appear to be lilies which also represent the qualities of white. The girls are wearing white dresses and they seem to be of a very young age. Those would be more indicators of white qualities.
The Virgin and Child with a Lamb, Cesare da Sesto, About 1515, From the collection of: Museo Poldi Pezzoli
In this painting we see a woman picking up a child who is holding a lamb. The white coat of the lamb is used as a representation of the fact that the child is of purity. It could also be said that the very pale skin color of the woman represents her goodness and purity.
The Abduction of Europa, Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn, 1632, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
In this painting, it would seem that the girl in the water is trying to escape from the people on the shore. The girl in the blue dress appears to be very angry and the woman in the red dress seems to be trying to calm her down. The white cow would be representative of the girl riding on its back; the cow representing the qualities of the color white.
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