Is Pink H/A?

[Lady Isabella]

Ok ladies and gents, I need some "proof" that there were pink fabrics and or dresses, doublets, or combinations of, during the renaissance. Mens and womens clothing. What shades of pink? Also, maybe what "is not" H/A.
Thank you!

[gem]

It was extremely popular in the 16th century in Italy (at least according to Moroni).  Google "Moroni portrait" and you'll get tons of hits, like these:

http://cgfa.acropolisinc.com/moroni/moroni9.jpg
http://dardel.info/museum/museum1/Moroni.jpg (probably the most famous "pink" portrait of the Renaissance)

[operafantomet]

Pink: major yes!!

And actually, the brighter, the better. Don't go for light pastel. The way a colour was rated, was that the more intense the colour was, the more expensive it was. Cheaper textiles was dyed in the dye bat last, and got paler shades. That's not what you want if you go for upper middle class or nobility.

Pink shades weren't actually called pink, though. They were variants of red. To us "red" is red, maybe blood red or orange red, but definitely red. But in the past colours got name after what sort of dye was used to create the shade. And every dye could be manipulated to achieve numerous shades. Chermisi (crimson) could for example be both pink, red and scarlet.

Pink in actual portraits? I'm a sucker for Italian style, so that's mainly the references I have. But enjoy!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze1/ghirlandaio1486b.jpg
(this is a fresco, so the colour of the garb appears a tad more muted than it probably was in real life)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/puligi1523magdalen2.jpg
(borderlining red, and was probably considered so as well, but I see it as more pink)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/foschi1530s.jpg
(ditto)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bacchiacca1540.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1541.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1540.jpg
(three very similar dresses from the 1540s Florence. They would probably also be considered red to the period eye)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1543.jpg
(Eleonora di Toledo in a dress, which it is indeed the same, is described as "crimson with gold bands")

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/bologne/fontana1580.jpg
(a 1580 portrait of a little girl in pink overdress)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia1/brescia1535.jpg
(is it salmon? Is it rust? Is it pink? Your choice...)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/zelotti1560sfoscari.jpg
(Barbie pink!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/robusti1600courtesan.jpg
(I-want-that-fabric-NOOOOOOOOW pink)

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/bergamo/moroni1560.jpg
(again, would probably be considered red for the period eye, but to the modern eye it can be seen as pink as well)

[operafantomet]

There's also Eva Andersson's pink Lyon dress:
http://web.comhem.se/~u41200125/TempledeLyon.html

[Kate]

I've been told yes, as I am ALWAYS in pink, mostly deep shades of fuschia.  GO FOR IT!

[Lady Isabella]

WOW! Knew I came to the right place. Thank you ladies!

[Lady Isabella]

Ok, one more question. What about this color. For royal garb?

[gem]

What color is that?  On my screen it looks either deep turquoise or forest green.  (And just in case you meant that *fabric,* and not just that color... it appears to be a knit, which isn't the best choice for garb.)

[Master James]

Yes turquoise is a valid color for the time period however I agree with Gem.  That does look like a knit and if you are going for H/A then knits did not exist at that time so you shouldn't use it.  If not worrying about H/A then go for it.

[Lady Isabella]

Sorry, not the fabric, the color. It's my daughters favorite tee shirt. She wants a dress this color, its like a seafoam green.

[gem]

Here are a couple of portraits (one a self-portrait) by Alessandro Allori (Italian, 16th c.):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Self_Portrait_-_Alessandro_Allori.jpg

This is a little more blue IRL:
http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/yourgarb/2009/Kerri-Alessandro_Allori_003.jpg

The Italians particularly fancied much brighter colors than we often think of for Renaissance clothing.

[operafantomet]

Not to mention

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze1/lippi1450-55berlin.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze1/ghirlandaio1486.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze1/botticelli1484graces.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/ghirlandaio1530s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze3/allori1580-90c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/temporary/unknown3.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia1/bassana153040cop.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/fasologreen1550s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/caldogno5.jpg

(granted I see the colour in my monitor as you see it)

As usual, at least for Italians, bright colour = expensive fabric. Only colour you should avoid for H/A is modern purple. Purple always seems to be more reddish purple in historical sources; the screaming bluish purple is a product of dye inventions of the mid 19th century. That's not to say all colours are period because they existed back then; different regions had different preferences, and some colours (or rather, dyes) were reserved for specific classes.

[Lady Isabella]

Thank you!

[gem]

LOL, Anea--that fourth one you posted (Ghirlandaio's Lucrezia Sommaria) is on a magnet on my fridge, right next to the computer, and I didn't even think of it!  I think it would make such a lovely, simple gown for fair (lightweight wool or linen for the sleeves, black velvet or velveteen for the gown...).

But your "Unknown 3," six down the list, is a STUNNER! I've not seen that one before.

[operafantomet]

But your "Unknown 3," six down the list, is a STUNNER! I've not seen that one before.

Isn't it though? The odd thing is that I've seen it - like, the exact same portrait - in a cream or golden version at the Palazzo Spada in Rome. I asked the staff if that one was to be found in any books or postcards, but no. And of course pics were not allowed... At the Norwegian Institute in Rome I spent hours looking for a version of the portrait online, but I only found a tiny version - and the green one! I dunno if anyone has manipulated the cream/golden dress or if two identical portraits in different colours indeed exist. It's a big mystery to me.


The green version seems to show more of the bodice, so I think we're talking two different versions. But I have no clue where the other one currently hangs. The golden/cream one is from Galleria Spada in Rome.

And LOL about that Sommaria fridge thing! What a coincident!