Pink in the Western World
The color pink was first recognized in 800 B.C. in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” A Greek botanist describing the ruffled edges of a carnation was the first to explicitly term the coin.
Child Jesus was often portrayed dressed in pink in the 13th and 14th century due to its association with innocence and the womb.
Another religious figure that was depicted in pink was Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, fertility and victory. She is connected to the color pink because she is the goddess of love.
Pink was considered a fashionable color in the 18th century, with both male and female aristocrats wearing it. Trade routes through the Ottoman Empire allowed madder root, a natural source of pink, to reach European textile artisans.
Later in the 19th century, pink was seen as a masculine color to be worn by boys rather than girls. An example is Franz Xaver Winterhalter’s painting of Queen Victoria and her son Prince Arthur, who is dressed in pink and white.
The modern association between femininity and the color pink originated with baby clothing. Pink was still being marketed as boy’s clothing, but parents wanted to dress their sons in clothes that imitated their father’s work uniforms, leading to the concept of boys in blue.
Pink in the Eastern World.
The color pink was not prominent in many Asian countries until the Eastern cultures came into contact with the Western cultures. Eastern countries were generally outside the zones where pink-producing herbs can grow.
Pink was used in religious depictions and is a signature color of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. She is often depicted with pink lotuses or clothing and has been described to love the color pink.
Shades of pink were also created in China, starting in the Ming dynasty to replicate the color of sunsets and peach blossoms.
Similar to the Western world, some shades of pink were seen as masculine. Pink was worn by Tang dynasty government officials and used on the face masks for male characters in Peking Opera. The size of the Tang dynasty allowed it access to the same madder root that the Europeans got from the Ottomans.
Overall in the Eastern hemisphere, pink is considered a feminine color as it signifies love and marriage. Practitioners of Feng Shui, a Chinese decoration practice, state the color pink is said to attract love into one’s life.
The shift in thought about the gender of the color pink is due to the influence of Western culture during the 1970s. The Western world already believed pink was a feminine color at that time.
Pink in Latin America
Like Asia, pink was not widespread until Western culture introduced the color.
The color pink is most commonly known for two things in Latin America: Architecture and Politics.
The connection between pink and architecture is due to Luis Barragán and Ramón Valdiosera. Barragán was a contemporary Mexican architect who was influential in reviving the historical Mayan and Aztec customs of using bright colors on buildings. He used pink multiple times and has inspired others to do so as well.
Valdiosera, a contemporary fashion designer, popularized the shade Rosa Mexicano, or Mexican Pink, in his fashion designs. This shade is still used today across Mexico in crafts, textiles and taxi cabs.
Politically, the “Pink Tide” refers to the revival of left-wing governments in Latin America. The term refers to the new strength of moderate socialist ideals in the region.