Inspiration in the color rose.
Learn the history and meaning of the color rose, a color as expressive as its namesake.
What is the meaning of the color rose?
The color rose was one of the first colors whose name came from a flower. The vibrant tone is a crimson that teeters on the edge of magenta. This is just one color that the luscious rose flower comes in. Even so, rose color has been defined as the blushing color tied to love and romance. It acquired some surprising political and religious meanings, too.
Rose is a popular name that many languages use to describe similar crimson colors. The color rose sits between red and magenta on the color wheel.
The history of rose color.
The color rose — the name and the hue — have strong ties to love.
Roses in their most popular red hue were associated with the goddess Aphrodite in Ancient Greece. As legend goes, Aphrodite’s mortal lover, Adonis, became the target of Ares’ jealousy. When the god Ares took the form of a wild boar and attacked him, Adonis’ blood turned into roses when it touched the ground. Rose color has historic ties to love as well as the sorrow that love sometimes brings.
By Ancient Rome, roses took meanings beyond love.
Over in Ancient Rome, roses were worn in garlands in shows of honor or celebrations. Throughout antiquity, the color rose — or rosa in Latin — was a flower admired in all shades, because it blooms in many. The red rose, however, was held in particular esteem.
Rose color was adopted in English before other flower-inspired names.
The word rosa in Latin was borrowed from colonial Greek used in the south of Italy. Its roots are thought to have traveled through Aramaic from Assyrian and, before that, Old Iranian. The flower’s name was adopted in English in the late 1300s, used first to describe the hue as “rose color.” The term “rose” alone as the color was first recorded in English around 1520.
The color rose across different cultures.
With its ties to love, beauty, and celebration, rose color later took on religious meanings.
Rose color is tied to love and emotion. The way the color rose is used in language and art reiterates these meanings across many languages. Because of these meanings, rose color was also adopted for the rosary used in the Catholic religion. In the Church, many priests wear rose color vestments on important religious holidays like Gaudete Sunday and Laetare Sunday, too.
The French have some lyrical sentiments about the color rose.
The French phrase la vie en rose means to “live life in pink.” This phrase has the same meaning as the similar English idiom, “to see the world through rose-colored glasses.” The color rose seems to paint the world around you, and everything becomes beautiful and optimistic. This phrase was the title of one signature song by French singer Edith Piaf.
The color rose has made it into many phrases describing figurative circumstances.
The color rose used to describe favorable circumstances also appears in the phrase “a bed of roses,” dating back to the 15th century. If something “comes up roses,” it also comes fortuitously. When rose color first entered English in the 1500s, it had already been used to describe a person, too, whereas a “rose” was a “person of great beauty or virtue.”
How to use the color rose.
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The color rose is proof that a little magenta goes a long way.
The color magenta has intense appeal, but too much of it can be overpowering. Rose color takes the passion of red and adds the intensity and intrigue of just a little magenta to create an unforgettable hue. Magenta and red are both used as accent colors, and the color rose is used that same way.
Rose color can make more of home interiors.
The color rose is used in interior design as a source of inspiration. Because of its intense hue, rose color is often used as an accent or accessory. The color rose resurged with the newfound trend of bright colors that’s recently risen in interiors. The color rose also had a brief spike in the 1980s when fashion took a more colorful turn.
Combine rose with other colors.
The color rose offers many complementary colors to play with. Consider rose next to spring green for a play on its natural namesake. Rose color is also a soft enough hue that it can be matched with other shades of green or blue. Pair the color rose with gold to enhance its sophistication. Avoid combining the color rose with orange, scarlet, or bright yellow, because together they become overwhelming.
Tap into the psychology of the color rose.
Rose color is often used in design to give a sense of liveliness. Unlike deep burgundy or other rich reds, the elegance of rose color is combined with the intensity of magenta to create something refined but romantic.
Information about rose color.
The rose HEX code picker is #FF007F. This is sometimes called a light crimson and can be imagined as a color between red and magenta.
The color rose can be achieved in a RGB space with 255 red, 0 green, and 127 blue. Rose color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 0% cyan, 100% magenta, 50% yellow, and 0% black.