Room 41

41.1
Red is the colour of blood and is strongly associated with power. Red is also the colour of fire and danger, passion and lust and aggression. Coco Chanel put it perfectly when she said: ‘Red is the colour of life, of blood. I love red’.

For a long time, the brightest red pigments were obtained from the crushed dried bodies of female scale insects: carmine from the cochineal insect, and crimson from bugs in the kermes genus. Crimson was used for dyeing a bright red fabric known as scarlet, which was extremely costly and luxurious, and was reserved for the powerful and wealthy.

In Christian culture, red was also associated with the Biblical whore of Babylon and with the devil.

41.2
Since the Middle Ages, red has been associated with sex and eroticism. In the many laws and regulations introduced over time, red was often the colour assigned to prostitutes.

Because red symbolised power and because red pigments were so costly, red was adopted as the colour of Europe’s royal courts. They followed the traditions of the Roman Empire, where only military commanders had the right to wear a costly red cloak.  

In India and China, many brides wear red because of its association with vitality and happiness.