Not nearly as rare or as arduous to produce as imperial purple, red’s early history was fraught with just as many challenges. Many centuries and conquests passed before a practicable pigment could offer the desired vibrancy without noticeable fading. The first reds used by ancient civilizations were acquired directly from the soil. The earth’s crust during the Pangaea period had a red cast due to high concentrations of iron oxide (red ocher) and manganese. During the Upper Palaeolithic period (15,000 BC) cave paintings found in Lascaux France reinforces the theory that the color was taken from the local soil. The Egyptians were masters in creating a range of hues for their tombs, statues, papyrus and domestic objects. To create red pigment, they used realgar (ruby sulphur) and/or red ocher. When it came to plants, vegetation like that of the madder plant was used for garment dying. Madder was a common source that was used up until the 19th century by Great Britain as an inexp...