
In the Roman Empire, it became the color of mourning, and over the centuries it was frequently associated with death, evil, witches, and magic. It was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as the color of the underworld. īlack was one of the first colors used by artists in Neolithic cave paintings.

Since the Middle Ages, black has been the symbolic color of solemnity and authority, and for this reason it is still commonly worn by judges and magistrates. Black and white have often been used to describe opposites such as good and evil, the Dark Ages versus Age of Enlightenment, and night versus day. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.

It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. Clockwise, from top left: Anubis statue American black bear Galaxy NGC 406 The Supreme Court of the United States Portrait painting of Queen Victoria.īlack is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light.
