In times of crisis, art has always been an outlet for the expression of emotion, with colour being an invaluable tool. Blue lends itself to a very complex history. Harvested from lapis lazuli, in Afghanistan, the colour began as a symbol of status and divinity, controlled by the church, reserved for the Virgin Mary. It was a rare hue that had huge impact on a piece. However, during the 19th century, blue became more widely accessible, as it evolved it came to be associated with illness and melancholy in painting.
Popularised in the 19th century, the term ‘blue death’ refers to the appearance of victims of Cholera; their skin turning blue from dehydration during the final stage of the illness. Many lithographs and engravings depicted people in their final stages of life, with blueish skin, frail and unable to fight this vicious illness.
The unnatural paleness of the colour as a skin tone created a culture of fear towards Cholera, as in the 19th century, it remained widely misunderstood. People appeared alien, and blue became a symbol of death, fear and illness.
This symbolism stayed with artists of the late 19th century, enforcing themes of grief and melancholy. Vincent Van Gogh notably used blue throughout his self-portraits, which came to depict his deteriorating mental state. While not intentionally painting his own illness, Van Gogh’s series of self-portraits are drenched in depressing hues of blue. The persistent presence of the colour throughout these paintings becomes synonymous with his mental state, reinforcing its association with illness.
Pablo Picasso’s ‘Blue Period’ in the early 20th century solidified the grief and despair of the colour. Following the suicide of his friend, Picasso painted only in blue, conveying a sense of all-encompassing loneliness.
The sorrowful figures plagued with blue skin as a symbol of Picasso’s grief recall the illness and despair of Cholera victims in their final days.
From the divine, to epidemic illness, to mental breakdowns; blue is ultimately a powerful symbol of sorrow and despair.
“<div class=’fn’> Blue stage of the spasmodic Cholera</div>” is licensed under CC BY 4.0.