Lemon yellow as a named colour emerged in the 18th century, coinciding with the fashion for citrus fruit in European aristocratic culture. As a pigment category, it encompasses the coolest, most greenish yellows. The Bauhaus school used lemon yellow as one of its primary palette colours, contrasting with the warmth of cadmium yellow.

Fresh, crisp, and intellectual. Lemon yellow is the coolest of yellows — it has a clarity and sharpness that warm yellows lack. Associated with spring mornings, citrus, and sharp thinking. In large quantities it can feel acidic; as an accent it enlivens any palette.

The colour of citrus fruit, taxi cabs in some cities, and legal pads. In Bauhaus colour theory, lemon yellow (cool yellow) was contrasted with cadmium yellow (warm) to demonstrate the relativity of colour temperature. It remains one of the most popular yellows among watercolourists for mixing clean greens.