What is the origin of the tradition of window shutters being painted green regardless of the building color?

In Italy and on the French Riviera, the houses are often yellow, pale orange, light green or ivory, and the window shutters are almost always green. New England also appears to have the tradition of green window shutters – often with a white or cream colored house. The French Quarter in New Orleans is full of buildings of various colors with green window shutters.

Early architectural aesthetics often dictated dark colors for shutters. Replicating the dark void of the window opening maintained a similar appearance on all windows of a building when some shutters were closed and others were open.