Not nearly as rare or as arduous to produce as imperial purple, red’s early history was fraught with just as many challenges. With the passing of many centuries and conquests, it took a long time before a source was discovered that had the desired vibrancy and fade resistance we’ve since grown accustom to.
The first reds used by ancient civilizations were taken directly from the soil. The earth’s crust during the Pangaea period had a red cast due to the high concentrations of iron oxide (red ocher) and manganese. During the Upper Palaeolithic period (15,000 BC) cave paintings found in Lascaux France reinforce the theory that the color was taken from local soil. The Egyptians were masters at creating a range of colors for their tombs, statues, papyrus and domestic objects. To make red pigments, they used realga (ruby sulphur) and/or red ocher. A common plant like that of madder was most often used for garment dying. Up until the 19th century England also made use of madder as an inexpensive dying solution for infantry uniforms (red coats).
From the west and northern parts of Europe, to North Africa and the Middle East, the Roman Empire assimilated pigment knowledge and disseminated the techniques among their base of artisans. This storehouse of knowledge was extremely useful when trying to achieve consistent results in mural paintings when using red cinnabar. Having a reputation of being difficult to work with (mineral) cinnabar had the potential to turn black when exposed to light if not manufactured properly. Murals that included this pigment spoke to the level of status and wealth of its owner.
The quest for finding a pigment stable enough to handle washings without fading to shades of pink, russet or orange reds, was elusive up until the 1520’s.
For centuries red carmine was made from the blood of insects. The Incas and Aztecs perfected the technique of harvesting the cochineal beetle or “grana” or “grana cochinilla” from the spiny branches of cacti (Opuntia ficus-indica, most commonly known as the prickly pear). To prevent infection from touching the cochineal or cactus directly, sticks were used to scrape insects off the cactus for harvesting. They were later dried in the sun or placed inside ovens to speed the process. It takes approximately 70,000 dried crushed insects to make one pound of dye.
In 1518 Hernán Cortés’s arrived in Mexico to establish settlements on behalf of Spain. This lead to the discovery of cochineal’s uses and the beautiful results it produced. Its eventual export to Europe, overturned the various red dyestuffs that had been used for generations because of its superior properties of vibrancy and longevity.
With the discovery of synthetic dyes in 1900, demand for cochineal began to decline nearly wiping out its need. By the middle of the 1960’s a shift towards a growing interest of natural foodstuffs began. With reports of cancer being linked to dyestuffs such as Red No. 2 though laboratory testing, cochineal began to make a comeback. Because cochineal is not just limited to red (it can create a variety of colors from shades of red to purple, pink and orange), its application to food and cosmetics made it a preferred choice. Today cochineal is sold in its dried form, powered (free of legs), and as a liquid.
For more information on the fascinating history of this color, the book A Perfect Red by Amy Greenfield does a wonderful job in satisfying the curious, through exhaustive research in an accessible portrayal.
The first reds used by ancient civilizations were taken directly from the soil. The earth’s crust during the Pangaea period had a red cast due to the high concentrations of iron oxide (red ocher) and manganese. During the Upper Palaeolithic period (15,000 BC) cave paintings found in Lascaux France reinforce the theory that the color was taken from local soil. The Egyptians were masters at creating a range of colors for their tombs, statues, papyrus and domestic objects. To make red pigments, they used realga (ruby sulphur) and/or red ocher. A common plant like that of madder was most often used for garment dying. Up until the 19th century England also made use of madder as an inexpensive dying solution for infantry uniforms (red coats).
From the west and northern parts of Europe, to North Africa and the Middle East, the Roman Empire assimilated pigment knowledge and disseminated the techniques among their base of artisans. This storehouse of knowledge was extremely useful when trying to achieve consistent results in mural paintings when using red cinnabar. Having a reputation of being difficult to work with (mineral) cinnabar had the potential to turn black when exposed to light if not manufactured properly. Murals that included this pigment spoke to the level of status and wealth of its owner.The quest for finding a pigment stable enough to handle washings without fading to shades of pink, russet or orange reds, was elusive up until the 1520’s.
For centuries red carmine was made from the blood of insects. The Incas and Aztecs perfected the technique of harvesting the cochineal beetle or “grana” or “grana cochinilla” from the spiny branches of cacti (Opuntia ficus-indica, most commonly known as the prickly pear). To prevent infection from touching the cochineal or cactus directly, sticks were used to scrape insects off the cactus for harvesting. They were later dried in the sun or placed inside ovens to speed the process. It takes approximately 70,000 dried crushed insects to make one pound of dye.
In 1518 Hernán Cortés’s arrived in Mexico to establish settlements on behalf of Spain. This lead to the discovery of cochineal’s uses and the beautiful results it produced. Its eventual export to Europe, overturned the various red dyestuffs that had been used for generations because of its superior properties of vibrancy and longevity.
By the mid 16th century, tons of dried incests were being shipped from the Americas to Spain. Spain’s desire to remain a dominating world power required the necessary financing to succeed. The Spanish crown used cochineal along with gold and silver taken as tributes from the New World to fulfill this objective while maintaining a long term trading monopoly over the dye.
With the discovery of synthetic dyes in 1900, demand for cochineal began to decline nearly wiping out its need. By the middle of the 1960’s a shift towards a growing interest of natural foodstuffs began. With reports of cancer being linked to dyestuffs such as Red No. 2 though laboratory testing, cochineal began to make a comeback. Because cochineal is not just limited to red (it can create a variety of colors from shades of red to purple, pink and orange), its application to food and cosmetics made it a preferred choice. Today cochineal is sold in its dried form, powered (free of legs), and as a liquid.
For more information on the fascinating history of this color, the book A Perfect Red by Amy Greenfield does a wonderful job in satisfying the curious, through exhaustive research in an accessible portrayal.