Years ago I wrote a paper on the color black and its importance and in our western society. It is my favorite color and I do think about its significance and elegance quite often. Here’s my most recent musing about it.
According to an article in fashionunited.uk from May 2022 - the color black is enigmatic, invokes elegance, power and prestige. I agree, it does. But other colors can evoke the same. Consider Grace Kelly on her wedding day, she is wearing a white lace dress designed by Helen Rose in which the Oscar winning actress is the definition of enigma, elegance, power and prestige. Another example of the fictional character Alexis Colby from the 1980’s hit show Dynasty. That woman looked enigmatic, elegant, powerful in every color. One can argue that it’s the woman wearing the clothes and not the color of the clothes that give them that power. So what is it about black that we associate with those chic and powerful words?
I recommend reading Michel Pastoureau’s book Noir, historic d’une couleur, a summary of which can be read on ParisianGentleman.com. Michel covers many facets of the color black including linguistic influence, medieval symbolism, morality, modern sub-cultures and established formalities. It’s a good read.
Can't ponder the color black and not gravitate to the Dutch Masterpieces; where the use of the color black creates an unmistakable mood of mystery and elegance. Even the domestic scene of Peter Wtewael’s Kitchen Scene with its dark palette creates a feeling of abundance and luxury.
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To learn more about Grace Kelly’s Wedding Gown, check out the Philadelphia Museum of Art where the dress and other items from the wedding are part of the museums collection.
The Dutch Masterpieces is an ongoing exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
