It was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as the color of the underworld. īlack was one of the first colors used by artists in Neolithic cave paintings. Since the Middle Ages, black has been the symbolic color of solemnity and authority, and for this reason it is still commonly worn by judges and magistrates. Black and white have often been used to describe opposites such as good and evil, the Dark Ages versus Age of Enlightenment, and night versus day. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and gray. Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light.