The colour lilac is one of the shades of violet, which is generated by the combination of the latter with the colour white. Violet, in turn, can be obtained by the combination of a cold color (blue) and a warm color (red).

Both violet and lilac have been related to different psychological and cultural meanings , which we will see developed below.

Description and characteristics of this color

The lilac color is named after the botanical species syringa vulgaris, which includes flowers whose distinctive feature is this color. It includes a wide range of shades from light lilac to common lilac, passing through French lilac, mauve and lavender.

Lilac can also be obtained by the combination of the colour violet with the colour white , which is why it is considered one of the many types of violet that exist. Other derivatives of violet are for example purple, purple or burgundy. Each varies according to the intensity of the violet itself.

On the other hand, violet is considered one of the primary colors by the RGB System (Red, Green, Blue), which is the chromatic analysis developed by Isaac Newton through the decomposition of sunlight. This decomposition was obtained by means of a glass prism with several wavelengths, which achieved a chromatic circle with the colours violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

For the RGB system, white light can be recreated by adding three coloured lights: green, blue-violet and red-orange. These lights are the ones that cannot be obtained by the combination of others, so they are considered the primary colors. This system has been used to analyse the non-pigmentary light properties of each colour.

Another system known as CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key) was developed for the analysis of its pigmentary properties (which has made it possible to systematize colors in inks). In this system, the colours that cannot be obtained by mixing others are blue, yellow and red (the primary colours); with the addition of black as the base pigment. For CMYK, violet is a secondary color, emerging from the combination of red and blue. On the other hand, the color lilac is generated by the combination of violet with white, so it is considered one of the many shades of the former.

How do we perceive the lilac?

In the retina of the human eye, violet and lilac are perceived by the simultaneous excitation of the blue and red cones, located in the fovea (the center of the luteal macula of the eye). These cones act as trichromatic receptors through the optic nerve, which is responsible for communicating color messages to the brain.

Through a wavelength of between 380 and 420 nm (which unfolds before exposure with the chromatic stimulus), blue and red lights are generated, which finally allow us to perceive the violet , as well as its different tonalities.

The above is one of the descriptions of colour processing mechanisms offered by physiology. However, psychology and anthropology have also explained to us what some of the meanings of colours are on an individual and cultural level. Let us look at some of them below.

Meaning of lilac in psychology

For psychology, color is closely related to emotions. This is because, after perceiving the chromatic ranges through the optical nerve, the rest of our system activates different emotions related to our personal and socio-cultural experiences with each colour.

For example, for color psychology, cold colors, such as blue, are par excellence those that transmit feelings of tranquility, while warm colors, such as red, are those that generate excitement. To itself, as Eva Heller (2004) has proposed, each colour can change its meaning according to how it is mixed with other colours.

In this sense, the same author proposes that the color lilac has been related in Western culture with an ambiguous image about cosmetics, vanity and the maturity of women . In other shades, the colour violet can be related to the frivolous and at the same time to originality.

Likewise, being in one of the lowest tones of violet, the colour lilac has been associated with tranquillity, sweetness, warmth, moderation and little impact. It is not usually associated with negative behaviours, on the contrary, it is associated with sensitivity, empathy, kindness, balance and maturity.

All of the above has served to strategically use the colours according to the sensations and emotions they want to provoke. This has impacted different spheres, ranging from psychotherapy to architecture and marketing. For example, it was the colour representative of the extravagance of art nouveau .

Cultural meanings of lilac

Colours not only activate perceptions and emotional experiences at an individual level, but can mobilise different social codes according to how they have been used culturally. Even within the same culture the meaning of colours and their shades can vary. For example, in Europe the colour purple implies penance, although the colour violet in light tones is related to humility .

In the same way, one of the first classifications of colour according to its social meanings was made by Goethe, who related the colour violet, on a moral level, with the useless or the profitable. On an intellectual level he related it to fantasy and unreality. In terms of social status he identified it with artists, and on the level of cultural traditions with spirituality, magic and theology.

In fact, for the church, the violet and its different shades have symbolized love and truth, although in constant tension with passion and suffering. In fact they are the colours associated with representative times such as Lent and Advent, which are celebrated before Easter and before Christmas respectively. On the same dates, these colours are used in the habits of the bishops.

On the other hand, in South America the color purple was related to joy , because it was found in abundance in different flowers and crops throughout the year. Finally, in recent times, the color violet has been associated with feminist movements in different parts of the world.

Bibliographic references:

  • Heller, E. (2004). Psychology of colour. How colours act on feelings and reason. Editorial Gustavo Gili: Spain.
  • Llorente, C. (2018). Comparative analysis of chromatic symbolism in advertising. Nike in China and Spain. Vivat Academica. Journal of Communication, 142: 51-78.
  • Parodi Gastañeta, F. (2002). Chromosemiotics. The meaning of colour in visual communication. Recovered September 17, 2018. Available at http://200.62.146.19/bibvirtualdata/publicaciones/comunicacion/n3_2002/a07.pdf.
  • Rivera, M. A. (2001). Perception and meaning of color in different social groups. Revista Imagen, 53: 74-83.