An Exclusive Exhibition: "The Red that Colored the World"

Unknown, Portrait of a Young Woman with a Harpsichord, Mexico, early 18th century. Oil on canvas, 61⅝ x 40⅜ in. Denver Art Museum, gift of Frederick and Jan Mayer, 3.2007. Photo courtesy Denver Art Museum.

Who doesn’t love the color Red? An unavoidable color, red evokes passion, life and drama. It particularly intrigues humans, who unlike other mammals are more sensitive to perceiving the iconic color. Red can draw our attention and make us stop in our tracks. But what makes something red? While there are a variety of sources that contribute to the red in our world (mineral, vegetal and insect), one type of red is particularly legendary and has been coveted by royalty, artists, craftsmen, and connoisseurs of color alike. Dye sources deliver a variation of red hues from orange to brick red. In Europe, the quest for a perfect red was satisfied in the 16^th century when the Spanish observed its use in Mexico. Exported by the tons, this new red produced from the cochineal beetle delivered a stunning range of colorfast reds. The processing of dried female cochineal insects harvested from cactus for their precious red eventually gave color to the most beautiful artworks and artifacts coveted in museum collections today. The Red that Colored the World is an exhibition that, for the first and only time, brings together 400 years of color history by featuring more than 100 of the world’s most important artworks made with cochineal red.

Farmers harvesting cochineal beetles, Dactylopius coccus, from Opuntia cochinillifera cactus and roasting and drying the insects to prepare carmine dye, Mexico, circa 1800. Hand colored copperplate engraving from Friedrich Johan Bertuch’s (1747-1822) Bilderbuch fur Kinder (Picture Book for Children), Weimar, 1907. Photo: Florilegius. Mexico. SSPL/Science Museum/ Art Resource, NY

The history of cochineal red as a colorant is alluring and remarkable. The brilliant color aroused the lust of not only artists but also politicians and scientists. At its peak, cochineal was second only to silver as a valued commodity and was an intensely guarded secret that fueled espionage and piracy in its wake. Through a diverse collection of artifacts, all of which have been scientifically tested for the presence of cochineal, Redillustrates the global impact the tiny beetle made on the arts, sciences, economics and history. Visitors to the exhibition can see Aztec documents showing the distribution of cochineal farms and an Aztec document from a lawsuit against Cortez – both painted with cochineal red and both unlikely to go on exhibit again in the foreseeable future. Fine textiles from ancient Andean cultures, today’s epicenter of cochineal production, are well represented within the exhibition. A British officer’s red coat shows the militaristic use of cochineal in Europe while casta paintings from post-Conquest Mexico show the use of cochineal red being worn on the garments of individuals who could afford luxurious fabrics. Needlepoint samplers, religious artworks made of feathers and seashells, the artwork of the Spanish master painter El Greco, lovely French stockings and a corset – all are brought together in this collection that will never be assembled again.

Firefighter’s hooded cape (shōbō zukin), Japan, 18th–19th century, Edo period. Wool with gold- and silk-thread embroidery and applique, 36. x 23 in. Private Collection. Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.

Mariano Fortuny, Eleonora dress, Venice, 1930–1940. Silk, metal, and glass paste; velvet with metal and blown-glass print, 60⅛ x 57. x 28⅜ in. Museo del Traje, Madrid, CE088362, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Photo courtesy Museo del Traje.

Seeing the exhibition in person is essential to perceiving the vast nuances of red that cochineal can deliver. Designer dresses by the House of Fortuny and Orlando Dugi range from delicate pinkish blush reds to garnets that change in different lighting. The audacious fire-engine red of a Japanese firefighter’s cape seems impossibly classic, a dictionary definition of red, and one that supersedes the red produced by fire. When viewing the elegant deep red of the chair designed for Napoleon’s Council Room, one can easily envision the charismatic Emperor of France seated within its delicate rouge arms. Napoleon commissioned many objects dyed with cochineal, the red became the red of Empire.

Jacob Frères, armchair (fauteuil) from the Council Room (Salle du Conseil), Malmaison, France, 1800. Painted and gilded beech; original under-upholstery and red wool show cover (silk, velvet, and gilded silver trim), 38 x 26. x 28 in. New York Historical Society, gift of Louis Borg, 1867.438. © New York Historical Society.

Visitors to the exhibition will learn that cochineal still plays a role in our lives because cochineal red is used in a variety of contemporary products including cosmetics and foodstuffs. Red No. 4 is the term for cochineal dye; it is the only natural red dye approved by the FDA. A video in the exhibition shows contemporary dyers still working with the natural dye. Visitors to the Bowers’ courtyard can see cochineal growing on the museum’s large nopal cactus. The legacy of cochineal red is very much alive and continues today.

Man’s camisa (tunic), Chile, Arica (?), 16th–17^th century. Camelid hair, feathers; discontinuous warp and warp patterning, 35. x 54. in. Metropolitan Museum of Art, gift of John B. Elliott through the Mercer Trust, 2000 (2000.160.25). Photo © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY.

From Purebred Creole and Spaniard: Spaniard (de castizo y española: español), Mexico, 1775–1800. Oil on copper, 14 x 1919⁄64 in. Museo de América, Madrid, 00052. Photo courtesy Museo de América.

This exhibition was organized by the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, and made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and circulating through GuestCurator Traveling Exhibitions. The exhibition was generously supported by Orange County Fine Art Storage. Artworks have been loaned from prestigious collections worldwide, including Library of Congress, Denver Art Museum, Museo de Traje in Spain, Museum of International Folk Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museo El Greco in Spain, the National Army Museum in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and others.

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