ORANGES & BLUE

The bold colour connotes energy, vibrancy and flamboyance yet it was first known as ‘yellow red’, not emerging as ‘orange’ until 1510.

Oranges were first mentioned in Chinese literature in 314BC and their name derives from the Sanskrit narunga and the Arabic naranj, meaning fragrant. They were originally ‘norange’ in English until the ‘n’ was dropped.   

These striking, juicy fruits were taken from their native lands in the Himalayan foothills, Assam and Myanmar towards the eastern Mediterranean along Arab trade routes. Vasco de Gama introduced oranges to Spain in 1400.

My grandfather, born into humble origins in eastern France in 1898, told me he vividly remembered receiving just one orange (wrapped in silk paper) at Christmas when he was six years old. 

My first paintings were abstracts on orange background or vermillion. For me, it is a bright, attractive, warm colour which is almost ‘in motion’. 

Russian abstract artist Kandinsky wrote: “Orange is like a man, convinced of his own power.”