Some colors tend to make objects appear to recede. These are colors that are cooler, that have less intensity, and/or tints. This is helpful in the application of aerial perspective, which uses this technique to give the illusion of objects being farther away, as can be seen in the mountains within this landscape painting by Albert Bierstadt. As any interior decorator will attest, the use of receding color is also helpful in giving a room a more open feeling to it.
Although it is a more subjective comparison, a receding color might best correlate to a string timbre as it is less aggressive - compared to other timbres.