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Redeem nowInspiration in the color periwinkle.
Learn the history and meaning of the color periwinkle, a pale indigo that matches the beauty of its namesake.
Get inspired with periwinkle design templates.
Use periwinkle for its many meanings, from serenity to love.
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How to use the color periwinkle.
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Periwinkle color found in nature.
The color periwinkle is found in stunning vignettes in nature. The periwinkle flower is an obvious muse. Periwinkle color also seems to glow across the coolest part of the horizon when the sky first grows dark after dusk. Periwinkle color is seen in some gemstones, too.
Tap into the psychology of periwinkle.
The color periwinkle has several deeply rooted meanings. Even with its dark past, today, periwinkle color is used to enhance relaxation. Periwinkle draws out values like beauty and imagination, too. Periwinkle color can also inspire nostalgia or feelings of eternal love.
Find periwinkle inspiration in art.
The light blue-purple hue of periwinkle was popular among Symbolists and Impressionists in Europe in the 19th century. The landscapes of Monet, for example, often had a periwinkle tinge. Symbolists injected a vision of unreality into their art using periwinkle in uncommon ways.
Combine periwinkle with other colors.
The color periwinkle is a hue that can give projects secure footing. Periwinkle color can be used to soften more vibrant hues like yellow or burgundy. Periwinkle can also be paired with shades of blues or other neutrals for a deep or mystic feel, much like the Symbolists used.
Information about periwinkle color.
The periwinkle HEX code picker is #CCCCFF. Periwinkle is a light and airy shade of indigo, which itself is a balance between blue and purple.
Periwinkle can be achieved in a RGB space with 204 red, 204 green, and 255 blue. Periwinkle can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 17% cyan, 17% magenta, 0% yellow, and 0% black.
The history of periwinkle.
Periwinkle color was inspired by the periwinkle plant.
Periwinkle the flower was once called the “Flower of Death,” and the reasons are threefold. First, when parents lost children, their graves were decorated with periwinkle. Also, as legend goes, children who were sent to the gallows wore periwinkle color headbands as they approached their demise. The final case for the “Flower of Death” is that periwinkle is poisonous. Curiously, the color periwinkle is now tied to more positive meanings than this moniker suggests.
Periwinkle first appeared in English in the early 20th century.
The color periwinkle was first documented in English in 1920. Periwinkle color had already been in use, of course. Periwinkle had recently been a favorite of artists’ palettes, especially among Impressionists. The name periwinkle is a modernist’s word for an age-old color. Nature provides its eternal inspirations, too. There’s the namesake periwinkle flower, and even a snail called the common periwinkle.
Periwinkle color adopted a meaning that touches our sensitive side.
The color periwinkle saw an uptick in popularity in the 1900s. Today, periwinkle is the official color for the esophageal and stomach cancer ribbons, plus anorexia nervosa and bulimia awareness. Just as something poisonous is used for healing in chemotherapy, the original tie of periwinkle to its poisonous qualities has been swapped for symbolism of hope and healing. Periwinkle color was also named the Pantone 2022 Color of the Year and continues to make waves in interior design.
The color periwinkle across different cultures.
Periwinkle color tied to many monikers for the flower.
Periwinkle was originally named the “Flower of Death” in Italy (fiore di morte). Despite the name, it was the evergreen quality of the periwinkle that gave it a second meaning of immortality in Italy and around Europe. Today, periwinkle is even planted at cemeteries in the United States. Periwinkle has also been called Sorcerer’s Violet or Fairy’s Paintbrush.
The color periwinkle in religion.
The color periwinkle appears in religion, too. In Christianity, periwinkle color is linked to chastity. The periwinkle flower appears in Christian artwork that depicts the Virgin Mary, for instance. Catholicism, especially, uses the color periwinkle as a symbol of purity or unconditional love. Stained glass displays often use the color periwinkle with these meanings. The flower periwinkle is also laid at the base of Virgin Mary statues.
Periwinkle color in art and literature.
The color periwinkle doesn’t just appear in religious art. Throughout generations of art and literature, periwinkle color has carried many meanings. Start with the bleak implications of the medieval English phrase, “Crowned one with laurel leaves hye on his head set other with pervink (periwinkle) made for the giblet.” The Symbolists and Impressionists movements in the 1800s used periwinkle color in their mystic and serene paintings with the color’s more positive modern associations.