It is believed that there are two main reasons for the color red: the first is a habitual preference for the history of opera, and the second is based on a scientific reason.
Let’s start with the first. In fact, it is thought that opera houses played a role in the selection of this color for theater halls.
Red and gold colors were used in the first opera house built in Venice, Italy, the center of opera art.
These colors, especially red velvet, represented the royal family. When this art began to spread to the rest of Europe, Europeans preferred to use the same color palettes to imitate these buildings. It is known that the French prefer the color blue to represent the royal family instead of red.
After the decrease in interest in opera over the centuries, the shining stars of the entertainment industry became the theaters and then the cinemas. They continued this tradition and addressed their audience by using the color red in their halls.
There is a scientific reason behind the fact that the color red is still used today.
Visible light-sensing cells in the retina of the human eye; There are two types of photoreceptor cells, rods and cones. In normal light, cone cells perceive colors, while in low light, the task of detecting colors falls on rod cells.
Experiments by scientists; showed that the rods are most sensitive to the wavelengths of light around 498 nm and insensitive to wavelengths above that.
As you can see in the image below, rod cells see green best but cannot detect red light. Cones perceive all colors.
Due to its high wavelength, red is the first color we lose sight of in dark light conditions.
That is, in an environment with red curtains and armchairs such as theater and cinema; When the lights are dimmed, red colors are easier to see than blue or green colors. And that makes it easier for us to focus and adapt to what we’re watching, making for a good viewing experience.
If so, you will have some people asking why black color is not used.
Let’s say it is not used, but less preferred. You go to a place to have fun, to feel good, to distract yourself, to socialize. Do you want black colors that will put you in a depressive mood in this place? Or is it the color red, which gives a feeling of happiness, enthusiasm and vitality? Those who run these halls also prefer to use the color red because they know these psychological effects of colors.
For the scientific reason we mentioned above, the color red has another advantage. Red color; It accelerates the adaptation of visual cells in the process of transitioning from dark to light or from light to dark.
This is why pilots and radiologists wear red goggles.
When we stay in the dark for a long time and turn on the light, our eyes are dazzled and we have difficulty seeing. The same is true when we turn off the light. We accelerate this acclimatization process with the red color we see before both events.
- Sources: Junkie, Wikipedia 1 2, Opereyşın, Quora
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