United Colours of Art: A Journey Through the History of Red in Art
Eulalia Testri's piece titled 'United Colours of Art – Il Rosso' launches a seven-part exploration of rainbow colors, beginning with red. It examines the application of red by artists, spanning from Paleolithic cave art (35,000–13,000 BCE, Altamira, Spain) to contemporary works, without delving into symbolic interpretations. In ancient Egypt, red hues featured prominently in funerary art, while the Phoenicians were known for trading Tyrian purple. Red was a dominant color in Greek sculpture and painting. In 1st-century Rome, artists utilized red ochre and cinnabar. Medieval texts employed minium, and 16th-century Venetian artisans dealt in vermilion. The commercialization of cadmium red occurred in 1910. Red also played a significant role for 20th-century creators like Rothko and Pollock, influencing propaganda and fashion. Christian Dior remarked, "There is surely a red for everyone."
Key facts
- The article is the first in a seven-part series called 'United Colours of Art' focusing on the seven colors of the rainbow.
- Paleolithic red pigments were derived from hematite or yellow ochre heated to become red ochre, as seen in the Altamira cave paintings dating to 35,000–13,000 BCE.
- The Phoenicians' name derives from the Greek word 'phòiniks' meaning red, and they traded Tyrian purple from murex mollusks.
- In 1st-century CE Rome, red pigments included red ochre, hematite, chermes, madder, cinnabar, and minium; cinnabar was five times more expensive than African red ochre according to Pliny.
- Recent research suggests Pompeian red was obtained from yellow ochre, not cinnabar.
- Vermilion, an artificial mercury sulfide, was imported by Arabs from China between the 8th and 11th centuries and was favored by Titian and Venetian workshops.
- Carmine red from Mexican cochineal was used by Flemish painters Rubens, van Dyck, and Rembrandt in the 17th century.
- Cadmium was discovered in 1817 by German chemist Strohmeyer and commercialized in 1910; cadmium red was loved by Matisse but disliked by Renoir.
Entities
Artists
- Eulalia Testri
- Titian
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Anthony van Dyck
- Rembrandt
- Henri Matisse
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Mark Rothko
- Jackson Pollock
- Christian Dior
- Newton
- Strohmeyer
- Pliny
Institutions
- Artspecialday
- MIfacciodiCultura
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Ferrari
- Valentino
Locations
- Altamira
- Spain
- Cantabria
- Egypt
- Greece
- Rome
- Pompeii
- China
- Venice
- Europe
- Alexandria