Purple is a color that has long captivated human imagination. But defining exactly what shade of purple is referenced by the term “bluish purple” is not straightforward. In this article, we will examine the origins of the color purple, look at variations of purple hues, and specifically analyze whether bluish purple can rightly be considered a distinct color.
The History of the Color Purple
Purple has a long and storied history spanning centuries and civilizations. In ancient times, purple was associated with royalty and high status due to the rarity and cost of purple dyes. The Ancient Phoenicians pioneered techniques for extracting purple dye from mollusks, leading purple to be prized throughout the ancient Mediterranean.
During the Byzantine Empire, emperors wore purple as an imperial color. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, purple retained regal associations. Bishops of the Catholic Church wore vestments of Tyrian purple, lent by the ancient dye’s Biblical connections. Tyrian purple is also mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament as a symbol of luxury and prestige.
The high value placed on purple dyes changed with the 18th-century advent of synthetic dyes. New techniques made bright purple hues more widely accessible. Purple became associated with creativity and unconventionality during the mid-19th century, as writers and artists wore the color as a symbol of their visionary sensibilities. Later shifts saw purple take on spiritual and mystic connotations.
Today, purple is an eclectic color embraced in fashion, interiors, art and culture. Variations of purple remain popular and versatile. But among its myriad shades, can we definitively categorize a color known as bluish purple?
Defining Shades of Purple
Purple sits between red and blue on the visible spectrum of light. There is no single wavelength that defines purple; it exists as a combination of longer red wavelengths and shorter blue wavelengths. This makes purple an intermediate secondary color.
Within the purple family, there is tremendous diversity in hue, tint and tone. Some major shades of purple include:
- Violet – The hue closest to the pure spectral purple, with no tints or shades.
- Indigo – A darker purple-blue long used as a textile dye.
- Lilac – A pale, soft purple tinted with white or pink.
- Mauve – A grayish purple popularized in the Victorian era.
- Wisteria – A light bluish-purple inspired by the flowering vine.
Purple also mixes cleanly with pink and blue tones. Bluish purples exhibit the cooler hues of blue, while reddish purples take on a warmer, pinker character. Any variation of purple can be systematically described using color theory models.
Locating Bluish Purple on the Color Wheel
One way to visualize the relationship between purple shades is with a color wheel. The color wheel maps out colors by their hue and temperature:
| Color Wheel Position | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Purples near magenta | Reddish purple hues |
| Purples near violet | Pure spectral purple hues |
| Purples near indigo and blue | Bluish purple hues |
On the color wheel, bluish purples occupy the cooler regions closer to blue and indigo. They exhibit more blue character than violet or magenta purples. But bluish purples still carry enough red to be differentiated from pure blues.
Defining Bluish Purple by Hex Color Codes
Another way of systematically describing purple shades is by their hex color codes. These six-digit codes define colors by their RGB (red, green, blue) values on a scale from 00 to FF.
Some examples of bluish purple hex codes include:
- #8A2BE2 – Blue violet
- #9370DB – Medium purple
- #7B68EE – Medium slate blue
- #6A5ACD – Slate blue
These colors exhibit more blue intensity than red or green. But they still carry enough red tint to be considered purples instead of pure blues.
We can contrast these bluish purples with hex codes for more reddish purples like these:
- #BA55D3 – Medium orchid
- #DDA0DD – Plum
- #EE82EE – Violet
- #DA70D6 – Orchid
So in the taxonomy of hex codes, bluish purples occupy cooler shade than reddish purples, but are still distinct from blue.
Identifying Bluish Purples by Name
Comparing named colors also helps classify bluish purples.
Some purple shades commonly described as bluish include:
- Wisteria
- Lavender
- Orchid
- Lilac
These names reference purples with noticeable blue tones. Meanwhile, shades without “bluish” descriptors skew toward red:
- Mulberry
- Magenta
- Byzantium
- Tyrian
So the color naming system indicates “bluish purple” describes real purple varieties with blue hues, not pure blues.
How Bluish Purples Are Perceived
Human color perception provides another angle on bluish purples. The human eye has receptors keyed to different color wavelengths.
Pure blue light stimulates the S cone cells. Pure red stimulates the L cone cells. Purple hues activate both S and L cones to varying degrees. Bluish purples trigger more S cone response, while still evoking some L cone response to maintain their purple appearance.
Color vision research indicates the human visual system perceives bluish purple as distinct from blue. This supports it as a valid classification within the purple family.
Uses of Bluish Purple
Identifying bluish purple hues has practical applications in art, design and technology. Here are some examples of bluish purples used in different domains:
- Web design: Bluish purples make sophisticated, engaging accents.
- Fashion: Bluish purple shades complement various skin tones in clothing and cosmetics.
- Interior design: Bluish purples can create cool, luxurious ambiances.
- Art: Bluish purples add depth and complexity across painting, textiles, photography and other media.
- Food: Bluish purple foods, like ube and blueberries, provide unique flavors.
- Nature: Many flowers, minerals, and animals display bluish purple hues.
These examples show bluish purple is not merely theoretical, but a real color with many practical applications.
Conclusion
In summary, bluish purple exists as a distinct subclass within the diverse purple color family. While purples span a wide gamut, bluish purples reliably exhibit subtle blue undertones that set them apart from pinker, redder purples. But they maintain enough purple character through red/blue color mixing to stand separate from pure blues.
Color theory, technical specifications, visual perception and practical use cases all support bluish purple as a real, valid and useful color term. So while its boundaries may be fluid, the evidence suggests we can confidently answer: Yes, bluish purple describes its own distinct shade within the vast palette of purples.