Violet has a long history of association with royalty, originally because Tyrian purple dye was extremely expensive in antiquity.
The first known recorded use of indigo as a color name in English was in 1289. The earliest direct evidence for the use of indigo dates to around 4000 BC and comes from Huaca Prieta, in contemporary Peru.
Blue has been an important colour in art and decoration since ancient times. In the Middle Ages, European artists used it in the windows of cathedrals.
During post-classical and early modern Europe, green was the color commonly associated with wealth, merchants, bankers and the gentry, while red was reserved for the nobility.
Because it was widely available, yellow ochre pigment was one of the first colors used in art; the Lascaux cave in France has a painting of a yellow horse 17,000 years old.
In ancient Egypt, and ancient India, artists used an orange colour on some of their items. Before the late 15th century, the colour orange existed in Europe, but without the name; it was simply called yellow-red.
Red pigment made from ochre was one of the first colors used in prehistoric art. The Ancient Egyptians and Mayans colored their faces red in ceremonies; Roman generals had their bodies colored red to celebrate victories.
Scroll up or down to learn a bit of history about each color of the rainbow. Source: Wikipedia