Medieval and Renaissance European painters worked within real material constraints — the most expensive pigments, especially natural ultramarine, were often reserved for the most important subjects in a painting, making pigment choice itself a signal of what mattered most.
Natural ultramarine, ground from imported lapis lazuli, was so expensive that Renaissance painters and patrons often specified it by contract for only the most important figures in a commissioned painting, commonly the robes of the Virgin Mary.
Art and design · Europe · medieval to Renaissance
Illuminated manuscripts of the medieval period made extensive use of ultramarine, gold leaf and other costly materials, reflecting the value placed on religious texts.
Art and design · Europe · medieval period
Sumptuary laws in various medieval and early modern European states restricted certain colours and fabrics (including some purples and rich reds) to particular social ranks, tying colour directly to legally enforced status.
Clothing and status · Europe · medieval to early modern
Historical claims above are scoped to a specific period, region or culture where relevant — none are presented as a single universal fact. See methodology.