Crimson

For other uses, seeCrimson (disambiguation).

Crimsonis a rich, deepredcolor, inclining topurple. It originally meant thecolorof thekermes dyeproduced from ascale insect,Kermes vermilio,but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red androse.It is thenational colorofNepal.

Crimson
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#DC143C
sRGBB(r,g,b)	(220, 20, 60)
HSV(h,s,v)	(348°, 91%, 86%)
CIELChuv(L,C,h)	(47, 140, 8°)
Source	HTML/CSS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Vivid red
B:Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

History

Crimson(NR4) is produced using the dried bodies of ascale insect,Kermes,which were gathered commercially in Mediterranean countries, where they live on thekermes oak,and sold throughout Europe.Kermes dyes have been found in burial wrappings inAnglo-ScandinavianYork.They fell out of use with the introduction ofcochineal,also made from scale insects, because although the dyes were comparable in quality and color intensity, ten to twelve times as much kermes is needed to produce the same effect as cochineal.

Carmineis the name given to the dye made from the dried bodies of the female cochineal, although the namecrimsonis sometimes applied to these dyes too. Cochineal appears to have been brought to Europe by the SpaniardHernán Cortésduring theconquest of the Aztec Empireand the name 'carmine' is derived from the Frenchcarmin.It was first described byPietro Andrea Mattioliin 1549. The pigment is also calledcochinealafter the insect from which it is made.

Alizarin(PR83) is a pigment that was first synthesized in 1868 by the GermanchemistsCarl GräbeandCarl Liebermannand replaced the natural pigmentmadder lake.Alizarin crimson is a dye bonded ontoalumwhich is then used as a pigment and mixed withochre,siennaandumber.It is not totally colorfast.

Etymology

The wordcrimsonhas been recorded in English since 1400,and its earlier forms includecremesin,crymysynandcramoysin(cf. cramoisy, a crimson cloth). These were adapted viaOld Spanishfrom theMedieval Latincremesinus(alsokermesinusorcarmesinus), the dye produced fromKermesscale insects, and can be traced back to Arabicqirmizi (قرمزي)( "red" )[qrmzj](), also borrowed inTurkic languageskırmız'and many other languages, e.g. GermanKarmesin,Italiancremisi,Frenchcramoisi,Portuguesecarmesim,Dutch “karmozijn”, etc. (via Latin). The ultimate source may be Sanskrit कृमिजkṛmi-jāmeaning "worm-made".

A shortened form ofcarmesinusalso gave the Latincarminus,from which comescarmine.

Other cognates include the Persianghermez"red" derived from "kermest" the red worm,Old Church Slavonicчрьвл҄ѥнъ(črьvl'enъ), archaicRussianчермный (čermnyj),Bulgarianчервен(cherven), andSerbo-Croatiancrven"red". Cf. alsovermilion.

Dyes

Main articles:CarmineandKermes (dye)

Carminic acid

Carminedyes,which give crimson and related red and purple colors, are based on analuminiumandcalciumsaltofcarminic acid.Carmine lakeis an aluminium or aluminium-tinlakeof cochineal extract, andcrimson lakeis prepared by striking down an infusion of cochineal with a 5percentsolutionofalumandcream of tartar.Purple lakeis prepared like carmine lake with the addition oflimeto produce the deep purple tone. Carmine dyes tend to fade quickly.

Carmine dyes were once widely prized in both the Americas and in Europe. They were used in paints byMichelangeloand for the crimson fabrics of theHussars,theTurks,theBritish Redcoats,and theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police.

Nowadays carmine dyes are used for coloring foodstuffs, medicines and cosmetics. As afood additivein the European Union, carmine dyes are designatedE120,and are also calledcochinealandNatural Red 4.Carmine dyes are also used in someoil paintsandwatercolorsused by artists.

In nature

• Thecrimson tidewhich sometimes occurs on beaches is caused by a type of algae known asKarenia brevis.

Crimson rosella

• Crimson rosellasare a subspecies ofparrotthat are common inAustralia.
• Thecrimson sunbirdis the national bird ofSingapore.
• Thecrimson-breasted gonolekis an Africanbushshrikewith a bright crimson breast.
• Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) is a clover species native to Europe
• Crimson glory vine (Vitis coignetiae) is a vine species native to Asia
• Hind's Crimson Star is an alternative name of the deep orange-red variable starR Leporis

In culture

Literature

• InGeorge R.R. Martin's seriesA Song of Ice and Fire,crimson is the family color ofHouse Lannister.
• There is a Space Marine chapter inWarhammer 40,000called the "Crimson Fists", who also paint the left glove of every warrior a deep red.
• InThe Dark Tower VII: The Dark TowerbyStephen King,the principal antagonist is theCrimson King.
• The Flash (Barry Allen), a DC Comics superhero, wears a red costume and runs at super-speed. He is sometimes called The Crimson Comet.

Music

• "Crimson and Clover"(1968 song)
• King Crimson(band)
  • In the Court of the Crimson King(1969)
    • "The Court of the Crimson King"
• W.A.S.P.-The Crimson Idol(album)
• Crimson(band)
• Edge of Sanity-Crimson(album)
• Crimson, white and indigois howJerry Garciadescribes the American flag in “Standing on the Moon.”
• Sentenced-Crimson(album)
• "Crimson Red", 2023 song by Jeffrey White, Raf Sandou, and MASON HOME

Film

• InGuillermo del Toro's 2015gothic romancefilmCrimson Peak,the Sharpes' dilapidated mansion Allerdale Hall, which is steadily sinking into the red clay, is referred to as "Crimson Peak" due to the warm red clay seeping through the snow.
• The 1952 filmThe Crimson PiratestarredBurt LancasterandNick Cravat.Set late in the 18th century, on the fictional Caribbean islands of San Pero and Cobra, where a rebellion on Cobra is underway by the mysterious "El Libre". Pirate Captain Vallo captures the King's ship carrying His Majesty's envoy.

Nobility

• In Polish,karmazyn(crimson) is a synonym for amagnate,i.e., a member of the rich, highnobilityas only they may wear robing dyed from the scale insect.

Religion

• Inscripturesof theBaháʼí Faith,crimson stands for tests and sacrifice, among other things

Food

• Rhubarbis sometimes poetically referred to ascrimson stalks.

Military

• The Danishhussar regiment'sceremonial uniform for enlisted members has a crimsonpelisse.
• A regiment of theBritish Army,The King's Royal Hussarsstill wears crimson trousers as successors to the 11th Hussars (the "Cherrypickers" )
• In theUnited States Army,crimson is the color of theOrdnance Corps.

School colors

Crimson (UA)
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#9E1B32
sRGBB(r,g,b)	(158, 27, 50)
HSV(h,s,v)	(349°, 83%, 62%)
CIELChuv(L,C,h)	(35, 91, 7°)
Source
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Vivid red
B:Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

• SomeGreek letter organizationsuse crimson as one of their official colors:Delta Sigma Theta(ΔΣΘ),Kappa Alpha Psi(ΚΑΨ), andKappa Alpha Order(ΚΑ).
• Crimson is the school color of several universities, includingKorea University,University of BelgranoandUniversity of Talca
  • In the United States including,Harvard University,University of Kansas,Indiana University,New Mexico State University,Saint Joseph's University,Tuskegee University,University of Alabama,University of Denver,University of Mississippi,University of Nebraska,University of Oklahoma,University of Utah,Washington State University,andWorcester Polytechnic Institute
• The daily newspaper at Harvard isThe Harvard Crimson.
• The daily newspaper at Alabama is calledThe Crimson White.
• Harvard's athletic teams are theCrimson,and those of theUniversity of Alabamaare the Crimson Tide.

Vexillology

• Crimson is the national color ofNepaland forms the background of thecountry's flag.It also appears on theflag of Poland.

See also

• Alizarin crimson (color)
• List of colors
  • Amaranth (color)
  • Ruby (color)
  • Scarlet
• Kermes (dye)
• National symbols of Nepal
• Red dye insects:
  • Armenian cochineal
  • Polish cochineal

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Crimson".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Etymology OnLine