What color background was common in Byzantine paintings?

In Byzantine paintings, a common background color was gold. This choice not only symbolized divinity and the heavenly realm but also served to create a sense of illumination and transcendence in the artwork. The use of gold backgrounds helped to emphasize the spiritual nature of the subjects depicted, often enhancing the overall ethereal quality of the images. Other colors, such as deep blues and reds, were also used but gold remained a hallmark of Byzantine artistry.