The Painted History Of Rose Quartz And Serenity, Your Pantone Colors Of The Year

You may know them better by their nicknames, pink and blue.

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Hear ye, hear ye. Pantone, the world's paramount color authority, has just announced the 2016 color of the year. And in an unprecedented move, there are two! It seems like no matter how many hours of deliberation the Pantone committee went through, they just could not choose between the two victorious hues, blue and pink. Sorry, Serenity and Rose Quartz.

It looks like your upcoming year will be the color of a pale sunset, or a baby nursery for eager parents who chose not to determine the sex beforehand. In the words of Pantone: "Weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, Serenity comforts with a calming effect, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure."

Although Serenity and Rose Quartz will surely be trending in the year to come, the art world has been hot on the pink and blue beat for centuries. (It helps, perhaps that the sky is sometimes blue and skin is sometimes pink.) From Monet's dreamy haystacks to Marlene Dumas' translucent watercolors, artists past and present have often employed the fine and feathery combination of Serenity and Rose Quartz for their pictorial visions. Take a tour of the painted history of pink and blue -- with a few sculptures and photos thrown in -- below.

John Everett Millais, The Martyr of the Solway, 1871
John Everett Millais, The Martyr of the Solway, 1871
Wiki Commons
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Wave, 1896
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Wave, 1896
Wiki Commons
Henri Rousseau, La tour Eiffel, 1898
Henri Rousseau, La tour Eiffel, 1898
Wiki Commons
LACMA
John Everett Millais, The North-West Passage, 1874
John Everett Millais, The North-West Passage, 1874
Wiki Commons
Claude Monet, Springtime, 1892
Claude Monet, Springtime, 1892
Wiki Commons
Odilon Redon, Initiation study: two young ladies, 1905
Odilon Redon, Initiation study: two young ladies, 1905
Wiki Commons
Dante Gabriel Rossetti , Found, 1868
Dante Gabriel Rossetti , Found, 1868
Wiki Commons
LACMA
Wiki Commons
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Birth of Venus, 1879
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, The Birth of Venus, 1879
Wiki Commons
Claude Monet, Am Strand von Trouville, 1870
Claude Monet, Am Strand von Trouville, 1870
Wiki Commons
Allison Schulnik, Mermaid with Legs, 2012.
Allison Schulnik, Mermaid with Legs, 2012.
Mark Moore Gallery
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Lady Lilith, 1867
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Lady Lilith, 1867
Wiki Commons
Louise Bourgeois, The Fragile, 2007
Louise Bourgeois, The Fragile, 2007
Sotheby's
Claude Monet, Camille Monet on her deathbed, 1879
Claude Monet, Camille Monet on her deathbed, 1879
Wiki Commons
Will Cotton, Cotton Candy Katy, 2010
Will Cotton, Cotton Candy Katy, 2010
Will Cototn
John Everett Millais, Cherry Ripe, 1879
John Everett Millais, Cherry Ripe, 1879
Wiki Commons
Olivia Locher, Stuck on Gum, 2012
Olivia Locher, Stuck on Gum, 2012
Steven Kasher Gallery
Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Margaret, 19th century
Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Margaret, 19th century
Wiki Commons
Ellie Hunter, Ruin Aesthetic, 2014
Ellie Hunter, Ruin Aesthetic, 2014
Ellie Hunter
Marlene Dumas, Amy - Blue, 201. Photograph by Alex Delfanne
Marlene Dumas, Amy - Blue, 201. Photograph by Alex Delfanne
Fondation Beyler
Odilon Redon, Baronne Robert de Domecy, 1900
Odilon Redon, Baronne Robert de Domecy, 1900
Wiki Commons
Allison Schulnik, Protea, 2012.
Allison Schulnik, Protea, 2012.
Mark Moore Gallery
Rebecca Morgan, Twin Blue Ribbon, 2011
Rebecca Morgan, Twin Blue Ribbon, 2011
Rebecca Morgan
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Les Deux Baigneuses, 1884
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Les Deux Baigneuses, 1884
Wiki Commons
Claire Milbrath
Marlene Dumas, Nuclear Family, 2013
Marlene Dumas, Nuclear Family, 2013
Fondation Beyler
Claude Monet, Grainstacks in the Sunlight, Morning Effect, 1890
Claude Monet, Grainstacks in the Sunlight, Morning Effect, 1890
Wiki Commons
Tracey Emin, The Perfect Dream, 2014
Tracey Emin, The Perfect Dream, 2014
Sotheby's
William Holman Hunt, May Morning on Magdalen Tower, 1890
William Holman Hunt, May Morning on Magdalen Tower, 1890
Wiki Commons
Claude Monet, Grand Canal Venice, 1908
Claude Monet, Grand Canal Venice, 1908
Wiki Commons

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