Do you know that actors, as a rule, especially in theatre, avoid green garments? Here are the reasons…
Green, the color of changing minds.
The green pigment in the XVIth century was chemically unstable. It was a changing color which generally faded. Symbolically, Occident (today commonly known as the western world), began to associate green with everything that was unstable, hence a relationship between chemistry and symbolism. This explains why we associate the color green with everything that does not last: childhood, love, luck, fortune, chance, play...
Toxic garments and bad luck.
Also, in the XVIth century, color said a bit about the roles played on stage. The actor who appeared in green didn’t have a dyed garment but a painted garment, simply because the green dye was difficult to make and the color didn’t hold. A garment painted green was easier... but also extremely toxic. The green used was “green-of-grey” which was obtained by the oxidation of copper salts with vinegar, lemon or urine. On the color side it was beautiful, but this pigment was unstable and corrosive. It contaminated the neighboring colors and the support on which it was placed... and above all, it was an extremely violent poison. For the actors, wearing a green garment was therefore very dangerous. According to a legend, the well-known French actor and playwright Molière collapsed on stage and soon passed away while dressed in green – creating the superstition that green brings bad luck to actors.
Packaging loves to wear green.
Contrary to the old greens, today’s green colorants are ideal for many applications – especially for different types of consumer packaging. Due to the generally high color strength, good heat, light & migration fastness and UV protection modern greens are ideal for assisting in product protection. Whether to protect your beer, beverages or vitamins, specific green colorants can do the job. Would you like to know which green color would be best to suit your needs? Talk to us! Our color experts are ready to help you.