“I should become a peach brand ambassador.” TIMOTHEE CHALAMET
Coral. Rose. Cosmetics. Watermelon Jolly Rancher. And, of course, a peach. All of these are identified with the color peach. Peach color is pastel, but just barely, offering noticeable hues of orange, yellow and pink. Peach is one of the few colors that can be soft yet stimulating at the same time. Peach symbolizes sweetness, goodwill, whimsy, sensuality, playfulness and joy.
The peach fruit was first grown in China. It was later cultivated in Persia on its way to adoption in Europe, where it was called the Latin word persica (literally, “the fruit from Persia”). In France, it became pêche, and then peche in Middle English. By the mid-1500s, peaches found their way to the Americas where they were farmed by Spanish monks in Florida. The color was quickly associated with the fruit, and the color peach enjoyed massive adoption once synthetic dyes were invented in the 1850s. During the Art Deco period of the 1920s and 1930s, peach-colored mirrors were often installed in luxury homes, upscale hotels and classy nightclubs.
The first major art movement to embrace the color peach was the Rococo period in the 1700s. Rococo was characterized by its flamboyant style and pastel colors, which was in stark contrast to the somber, rigid style of the preceding Baroque period. Painters of this period embraced peach by incorporating its various tones into clothing, interior décor, landscapes and human flesh. By the mid-18th century, Rococo, characterized by its ornate and often lighthearted style, began to face criticism for its perceived superficiality and frivolous nature. It was replaced by Neoclassical art, which featured a limited color palette employing cooler tones, a focus on light and shadow … and a regular absence of peach.
Considered a masterpiece of the Rococo era, this detail from The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard shows a carefree young woman in an opulent peach dress.
Flesh Tint. Flesh. Pink Beige. Flesh. Peach.
As Shakespeare might say, “Peach by any other name …” In 1903, Binney & Smith began selling wax crayons in eight colors under the name Crayola. Over time, Crayola expanded its catalog to more than 400 colors, with 152 colors currently produced. One of these colors has caused considerable controversy. That color is “Flesh.” Originally called Flesh Tint (1903-1949), the color became Flesh (1949-1956), Pink Beige (1956-1958), Flesh (1958-1962) and Peach (1962-present). In 1962, Crayola changed “Flesh” to "Peach" to address criticism sparked by the Civil Rights Movement. This move was seen as a positive step toward recognizing the diversity of human appearance.
