Chartreuse is a vivid yellowish green color that takes its name from the French liqueur of the same hue. While chartreuse is clearly a shade of green today, there has been some debate around whether it has always been classified as such throughout history. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at the origins and history of the color chartreuse, examining how and when it became established as a green color in the public consciousness.
The Origins of Chartreuse
The first known use of the word “chartreuse” as a color name came about in the 18th century, derived from the chartreuse liqueur produced by Carthusian monks in France since the 1600s. The monks originally used 130 different botanicals to produce their secret elixir, which resulted in a bright, intense green-yellow color.
By the 1700s, the chartreuse liqueur was so famous that the name became established as a color term referring to its distinctive hue. Other early literary mentions that cemented “chartreuse” as a color include:
- 1785: The treatise Colors and Dyes by J. H. Leupold referred to “chartreuse color”
- 1824: The book An Encyclopædia of Domestic Economy by Thomas Webster mentioned “chartreuse-green”
- 1848: The essay “Chromatography” by Edgar Allan Poe described “a greenish hue, somewhat similar to the chartreuse green”
From these early references, we can confirm that the color chartreuse was strongly associated with green from its inception as a color term in the 1700s and 1800s.
Chartreuse in Early Color Dictionaries and Systems
Early color dictionaries and classification systems from the late 19th and early 20th centuries also consistently categorized chartreuse as a shade of green:
| Color System | Classification of Chartreuse |
|---|---|
| Munsell Color System (1905) | 5.0GY 8.0/8.0 – 8.0GY 8.0/8.0 (Yellow-Green) |
| Maerz and Paul Dictionary of Color (1930) | Goethe’s Theory of Colours (1810) |
| ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955) | Bright greenish yellow |
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was one of the first researchers to develop a systematic study of color. His 1810 Theory of Colours categorized colors by hue and brightness, positioning chartreuse in the “plus-green” quadrant containing yellow-greens.
Later color compendiums like the Maerz and Paul Dictionary and the ISCC-NBS Dictionary also classified chartreuse as a greenish-yellow, confirming its status as a yellow-tinged shade of green.
Chartreuse in 20th Century Art, Fashion, and Design
By the early 20th century, chartreuse had made its way into the worlds of art, fashion, and design as a green color associated with vividness and vibrancy:
- Art: Chartreuse appeared in paintings like Picasso’s Still Life with Compote and Glass (1914-15) and Matisse’s The Dessert: Harmony in Red (1908), indicative of the color’s prominence among Avant Garde artists.
- Fashion: Paul Poiret introduced the vivid greenish chartreuse into haute couture in his fashions starting in the 1910s.
- Design: Chartreuse was used in posters, advertisements, and interior design as a striking shade adding luminosity and modern flair.
By the 1930s and 40s, chartreuse was an established staple across painting, clothing, graphic arts, and more as a shade between green and yellow.
Chartreuse in Recent History
From the mid-20th century into the modern day, chartreuse has remained a popular green-yellow color in fashion, design, merchandising, sports teams, and beyond:
- 1960s: Bright chartreuse was used in clothing, housewares, and advertising (e.g. Virginia Slims) during the psychedelic era.
- 1970s: Disco fashions featured chartreuse fabrics in eye-catching leisure suits.
- Interior Design: Chartreuse décor and accents grew popular in the 1980s-90s.
- Sports Teams: The Green Bay Packers adopted chartreuse as an official team color in 1995.
- Branding: Chartreuse is identified with brands like Heinz, BIC, Caterpillar, and more.
In the 21st century, chartreuse remains an attention-grabbing color choice across contemporary fashion labels, website designs, product packaging, and marketing materials.
Is Chartreuse Considered Yellow or Green?
With its bold, radiant hue between green and yellow, is chartreuse more properly considered a yellow or green color? Let’s examine how different sources classify it today:
| Source | Classification |
|---|---|
| Pantone Color Matching System | 12-0717 TPX Vivid Green Yellow |
| HTML/CSS Color Names | #7FFF00 – Chartreuse |
| X11 Color Names | Chartreuse |
| Crayola Crayons | Yellow-green (1973 to 1990) Green yellow (1990 to present) |
As we can see, chartreuse is generally considered a green-yellow or yellow-green – firmly in the middle between the green and yellow color families. While interpretations vary slightly, most standards define it as closer to green than pure yellow.
Chartreuse in Culture
The vibrant, eye-catching chartreuse has made notable appearances in films, songs, and cultural references over the past century:
- Movies: The Matrix (1999) features characters wearing chartreuse in key scenes.
- Music: Jazz standards like “Mood Indigo” (1930) and “Tangerine” (1942) mention the color chartreuse.
- Literature: In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes Meyer Wolfsheim’s tie as “effeminate chartreuse.”
- Common Expressions: Sayings like “life in the chartreuse lane” humorously refer to middle class suburban life.
From evoking a sense of vibrancy in The Great Gatsby to signifying cyberpunk futurism in The Matrix, chartreuse has retained its connotation of vitality and luminosity in modern-day pop culture contexts.
Conclusion
In summary, while chartreuse inhabits the nebulous area between green and yellow, it has predominantly been categorized as a shade of green throughout its history. Dating back to the 1700s when it was named after the vivid green-yellow liqueur, chartreuse has been consistently interpreted as a yellowish green or greenish yellow in color dictionaries, classification systems, and common usage for over 200 years.
Its adoption in fashion, art, graphic design, merchandising, and branding over the past century has further solidified chartreuse as a versatile, vibrant green-spectrum color. Next time you encounter chartreuse, you can remember its rich history and connections to senses of vitality, radiance, and distinctive flair.
