White: A Comprehensive Summary
White is the lightest and achromatic color, formed by reflecting and scattering all visible wavelengths of light. It was among the first colors used in art, notably in Lascaux Cave paintings 18,000–17,000 years ago, and quickly became a profound symbol. Across ancient civilizations, white represented purity, worn by priestesses in Egypt and Rome, and later signified citizenship for Romans and royalty for French kings (1815–1830), even opposing the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War (1917–1922).
Architecturally, white marble adorned Greek and Roman temples, and with neoclassical and modern movements from the 18th century onward, it epitomized modernity and simplicity. Culturally, white is deeply significant in almost all world religions; the Pope has worn white since 1566 as a symbol of purity, and it is worn by pilgrims in Islam and Shinto. Modern surveys associate white with perfection, cleanliness, and new beginnings, though paradoxically, it symbolizes purity in Western weddings but mourning in many Asian cultures.