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I have had an earthy palette on my desk for the past couple of weeks, but now I’m yearning for some juicy pigments. With a workshop coming up and a demo at the SBA in London to prepare for, 

I decided to pull out the paints and delve into purple!

Over the years I’ve collected quite a number of purple pigments. My favourite ones are definitely the Schmincke range Quinacridone Violet, Manganese violet and Purple magenta. I’d certainly be lost without my Winsor & Newton Cobalt violet…  that colour seems to make it’s way into every painting that I do. I also like the W&N winsor violet for it’s rich deep tones. My most recent purple purchase is Daniel Smith’s Moonglow, which makes a wonderful shadow colour.

In the 15^th century BC, the Phoenicians discovered that some sea snails (Bolinus brandaris, the spiny dye-murex and Hexaplex trunculus the banded dye-murex ) secreted a mucus that could be used to dye cloth a rich purple colour. This colour did not fade, but instead became brighter with weathering and sunlight. 

In fact the word Phoenician derives from the ancient Greek word phoínios meaning “purple”

The Phoenicians grew wealthy from trading in olive oil, gold, silver and cedar wood from the mountain forests of their homeland, Lebanon. However the sumptuous purple dye of the murex snail was their most valuable asset. 

The dye, known as Tyrian Purple became a status symbol, associated with royalty. Special laws were passed restricting the use of purple. Only the Roman Emperor could wear a Tyrian purple cape trimmed in golden thread and only a Roman senator could have a purple stripe on his toga. Even the royal birthing chambers had to be purple.

The production of Tyrian Purple eventually came to a halt in 1204 with the Siege of Constantinople, when it just became too expensive to keep producing. The secret to Tyrian purple was lost for centuries.

I found this recipe which made me smile. Go on, I dare you to try it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8530292_make-tyrian-purple.html

In 1856, a young chemistry student Sir William Henry Perkin, accidently created the first synthetic purple dye from aniline. He called it Mauveline. Once again purple became the colour of royalty. Queen Victoria discarded her black robes of mourning and wore instead a mauve silk gown to the Royal Exhibition of 1862, . The purple frenzy was soon copied by Empress Eugenie, wife of  Napoleon III, which then sparked the “Mauve Madness“ that swept Europe in the 1860s. 

Purple was back.

In 1896 a new set of synthetic pigments were created from aniline, the Quinacridones. A favourite of mine, these colours are transparent, non-toxic and resistant to fading. In 1955 the DuPont company decided to use the quinacridones to create paint for the automobile industry, giving rise to a funky range of bright colourful cars from golden yellow to bright red to deep purple. 

Fortunately for us, the  Quins were also made into artists paints. I think that they are a must for watercolourists as it’s hard to beat their transparency and lightfastness. They give a welcome glow to any painting. I enjoyed reading this great blogpost on quinacridone. It’s worth reading.

As for me, well, my purple paints are calling out to come and play.