Why is blue the color of luxury?

Galleria Cavour’s journey into the world of colors continues. The protagonist this week is blue, a shade that has always been associated with the idea of luxury. The reason, as always, is to be found in the pages of history.

In fact, since the times of the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations, blue from lapis lazuli, precious and very rare stones to be found, was in great demand in the field of the arts. That lapis lazuli was a real gold rush: it is no coincidence that the finds from the tombs of the Pharaohs, as demonstrated by the famous mask of Tutankhamun, were full of these stones considered rare due to their origin and intensity of blue which thus became a symbol of luxury and elegance.

The fortune of lapis lazuli in art will contribute to increasing the fame of blue, as the skies of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo or the extensive use that Giotto made of it to adorn the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua testify. Blue is the color of the unattainable and of the mystery, thanks to the shades of the sky and the sea that have always represented the unknown and the divine for man. The aristocracy makes this color its own and even today the nobles are commonly referred to as blue blood.

The reason, also here, is linked to the culture of the time: the diaphanous skin of the aristocracy, in fact, was distinguished from the dark and tanned skin of those forced to work in the fields, even allowing the distinction of the blue venous filaments through the paleness of the wrists. Even in fairy tales the noble sentiments often belonged to strictly blue princes ready to break spells thanks to tests of courage and kisses of true love.

Today the fortune of blue has extended to the institutional field where it seems to have become the color most used by politicians, senior officials and first ladies who have written history with their looks that have entered the fashion manuals. A few names? The turquoise dresses of Jaqueline Kennedy (like the one she wore at the reception with Queen Elizabeth II) or those of Michelle Obama and Melania Trump at the inauguration of their respective husbands. In short, the centuries pass but the hypnotic blue continues to be the color of luxury.

Discover these and other curiosities about blue and the culture of the image on the social media profiles of Galleria Cavour.