Red

Red is the color of all things passionate and intense; love, anger, power, 

speed, aggression, heat, war, joy. Red can trigger hunger,

 increase the heart rate, and indicate danger.

Red was used in cave drawings.

 Red was used to paint the body. Red was used to dye cloth.  Red was used to paint pottery. Red was used to paint temples and palaces.

 Red was used to color statues and sculptures.

Red was everywhere.

 Red is everywhere.

Red is scarlet, vermillion, crimson, maroon, cardinal, carnelian, ruby and everything we think when we say red; a stop sign, a brick, a barn, blood, burgundy wine.

Enjoy this week’s RED.

Wearing of the Red

RED DRESS

What is the allure of a woman in a red dress? Is it the same everywhere?

Folk Myths

 A woman who dies or commits suicide in a red dress can come back and haunt those who wronged her.

A woman wearing red sari is associated with marriage.

A woman wearing a red dress is a signal of sexual availability.

Married in red you will wish you were dead.

A dress is put on deities who have the power to destroy evil.

British officers wore red coats that were dyed with cochineal, which was expensive and became a color of power and authority. The British government then supplied the troops with red coats also but these were dyed with madder because it was very inexpensive.

Roman senators wore a reddish band on their togas as a symbol of the status; red dye being very expensive.

Isis was often depicted wearing red.

Wearing of red keeps evil spirits away as they are also wearing red and will believe you are one of them.

Red undergarments are worn by females as a fertility amulet.

Fox and Lions guarding temple gates are bibbed in red to keep out demons and sickness.

This week we will explore red clothing in art.

Red Hair Week

This week we take a look at Red Hair in Art.

Red hair occurs in only 1-2% of the human population, mostly in people of Western and Northern ancestry.  Ancient Greek writers mention people with red hair. People from what is now the Ukraine were described as having red hair, as were people of the Balkans. Roman historians described the Caledonians, Germans and Belgic people as large red headed.

Among the Polynesians having red hair indicates you come from high ranking ancestors and are from the ruling class.

King David and Esau were said to have red hair thereby re-enforcing in the minds of those of the Spanish Inquisitions that all red heads were Jewish. In Spanish and Italian Art Judas is almost always depicted with red hair.

The color titian takes its name from Titian who often painted pictures of women with red hair.  In Birth of Venus Botticelli painted Venus with red hair. Many pre-Raphaelites painted their heroines with red hair.

Achilles according to the Iliad had red or “tawny” hair, as did his son.

Thor is said to have red hair.

Muhammad is said to have red hair.

Red hair creates a gamut of emotion fear, reverence, abomination , adoration, worthless or honored.

"The attraction to redheads is a lot like being addicted to drugs." - Unknown