Violet color

[operafantomet]

So I've always wondered what this red color would be considered?  I've not really made a study on colorings and dyes, so maybe some of you experts out there could help out.  I play royalty and so really hope to at least come closet to what they'd wear.  Also, if someone could tell me exactly or more like show me a pic of what the english royal purple color was, I'd be very grateful!! In the pic below, the King and Queen are wearing a color of purple. Is this the right purple?

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8db33b3127ccec44cf30c992900000010O00AbtGjRqzcNWIPbz4Y/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

I'm not experienced enough within the world of dyeing that I can give you a decent answer... I've only used synthetic dyes, once. But in general, a colour agent/substance would give a variety of shades - porfyra/purple could mean both lilac, crimson and purple, madder could be anything from baby pink to salmon pink to dark ruby (an experiment can be seen here: http://www.rugreview.com/13-3nest.htm ). As mentioned above, a garb colour would get it's name from what was used to create the colour, not how it looked.

So to me, "the right purple" isn't really one colour. Today most would see it as a reddish lilac colour (like the one to the right in your photo, or the one in the bottom here: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpur ). But originally it meant a shade between lilac and blood red, achieved by purple dyeing. As for the correct English Royal purple... I dunno. I hope someone will be able to help you out! I suspect it is the kind of purple we see today, but don't quote me on it....

[isabelladangelo]

The "correct" color for the royal purple is the same color as dried blood....because that was what it was.   It's what we would consider a deep purplish maroon. 

[LadyElizabeth]

So would you consider my deep red gown or the royals purple velvet gowns closer to the right purple for English Royalty?

[Miranda]

I would be more inclined to call the reddish band on your gown Murrey.  While royal purple is made from kernes or cochineal insects (previously, from ancient times, it was made from mucus secretions from medium sized predatory sea snails but after the discovery of the new world cochineal became the pigment of choice) the mordants used had an important impact on the ultimate result.  Lime, for instance, gives a definate bluish tinge.  I hypothesize that "royal purple", while less a color and more a technique, was closer to what we would call plum.  Much like it's predecessor, Tyrian or Imperial Purple.

[LadyElizabeth]

Wonderful explanation.  I thank thee greatly and now will go in search of a lushious plum fabric for my next QE1 garb!!

[Miranda]

Actually, QE1 tended to favor black and white, they were considered "her colors."  For courtiers wear black and white in her presence indicated deference and respect.  Purple references seem to pop up for state events.  There is a reference to a purple silk doublet worn by Henry VIII for Holy/Maundy Thursday services.  I'm going to have to do some more research about the subject.

Really, Henry and his successors each seemed to have colors they favored, which frequently show up in their wardrobe accounts.

King Edward liked:
      Incarnate: Red
      Carnation: Resembling the color Raw Flesh
      Blod,(sic) Turkey, and Sea-Water

Queen Mary was fond of:
      Ruby, Crane, and Old Medley

Elizabeth favored the "Tudor Colors" green and white when she wanted to make a statement, while a princess. There is documentation, which I can't find right now, from the Jane Grey/Accession of Mary period referencing Elizabeth riding into London  while wearing green and white. 

[LadyElizabeth]

My current garbing colors center on the Black and White theme actually, but my personal favorite colors are a deep red and gold.  So I've worked these 4 colors into all of my current garb for QE1.  I have also read that Elizabeth liked a coral color, the one she is wearing in the Ditchley Portrait.  I'm not super fond of coral myself, so I've not run with that theme.  I would be truly interested in anything you find out though as I'm quite sure I've not read as much as everyone out there about her and coloring in particular.

[operafantomet]

When discussing purple and whether it was worn in period clothes or not... Botticelli has definitely depicted bold purple colours in his "Inferno" from the 1480s!

http://www.lib-art.com/imgpainting/8/7/7478-inferno-canto-xviii-sandro-botticelli.jpg

It should be added that there aren't multiple men wearing purple, only one (and that is Virgil). He is repeated over and over again as he moves around in hell, seeing the various punishments of the damned souls. He's accompanied by Dante in bright red and green, the classical colours of Florence and the Medicis.