Red was the first colour that man dominated in western society, both in painting and in colouring. This is probably why it was for a long time the colour "par excellence", the richest from a material, social, artistic, dreamlike and symbolic point of view. Admired by the Greeks and Romans, red was a symbol of power, wealth and majesty in antiquity. In the Middle Ages it acquired a strong religious dimension, evoking both the blood of Christ and the flames of hell. But it was also, in the profane world, the colour of love, glory and beauty, as well as pride, violence and lust. In the 16th century, Protestant morality went to war against red, which they saw as an indecent and immoral colour, linked to the vanities of the world and papist theatricality. From then on, throughout Europe, both in material culture and in everyday life, red went into decline. This decline has continued throughout the modern and contemporary era and has become more pronounced with the passage of time, although it has acquired new symbolism and meaning, especially on an ideological level. This edition brings the representation of different shades of red to accompany the fascinating reading of the history of this colour.

Publisher: Folioscopio