Notes on Red

scarletwitching:

In almost every culture, red is the third color to be named, after black/dark and white/light.

Red is also, you may have noticed, Wanda’s color. Her primary color, at least. I wrote a few years ago about the significance of Wanda’s red and pink outfit and how it strikes the right balance between intensity and softness. Nowadays though, the pink is gone (RIP) so I thought I would share some quotes about the symbolic meaning of red by itself. It’s interesting insight on its own, and it gets at why Wanda in just red (or red with black, an even darker color) feels so fundamentally different from her in red and pink.

Red is the color of extremes. It’s the color of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Our prehistoric ancestors saw red as the color of fire and blood – energy and primal life forces – and most of red’s symbolism today arises from its powerful associations in the past.

Red is also a magical and religious color. It symbolized super-human heroism to the Greeks and is the color of the Christian crucifixion. Red was almost as rare and as expensive as purple in ancient days – a fact that may explain its magic and power. – color matters

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Bright red is like visual caffeine. It can activate your libido, or make you aggressive, anxious, or compulsive. In fact, red can activate whatever latent passions you might bring to the table, or to the movie. Red is power. But red doesn’t come with a moral imperative. Depending on the story’s needs, red can give power to a good guy or a bad guy. […]  Red can also make something appear to move faster. (Red cars get more speeding tickets than cars of any other color.) Bright red can raise your heart rate and anxiety level. It is visually loud and can elicit anger. –  If It’s Purple, Someone’s Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling by Patti Bellantoni

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Red is a warm and bold color associated with action, passion, and the will to survive. It signifies leadership, determination, ambition, and empowerment. […] Red is also a ruthless and aggressive color. – screenprism

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Red has a range of symbolic meanings, including life, health, vigor, war, courage, anger, love and religious fervor. The common thread is that all these require passion, and the “life force” that drives passion blood is red.

When people become angry their faces become flushed with color. When they’re happy and healthy, they have rosy cheeks (whereas when they’re sick or dying, they have a deathly pallor, lacking in red). When men fight, blood is spilled. In all cases, red blood manifests itself in connection to passion. –  How 8 Colors Got Their Symbolic Meanings

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Red, the color of blood and fire, is associated with meanings of love, passion, desire, heat, longing, lust, sexuality, sensitivity, romance, joy, strength, leadership, courage, vigor, willpower, rage, anger, danger, malice, wrath, stress, action, vibrance, radiance, and determination. Red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. Red represents physical energy, lust, passion, and desire. It symbolizes action, confidence, and courage. The color red is linked to the most primitive physical, emotional, and financial needs of survival and self-preservation.

The color red is an intense color that is packed with emotion ranging from passionate, intense love to anger and violence — representing both cupid and the devil. It is a hot, strong, stimulating color that represents excitement and energy. […] Red represents power and courage. The color red is the basis of the traditional red power tie or red suit in business, and the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs. Red’s association with courage and bravery makes it a color that is used often in national flags, on shields, and in achievement patches. – Bourn Creative

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Red is frequently used as a symbol of guilt, sin and anger, often as connected with blood or sex. A biblical example is found in Isaiah: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”  –  Red: Symbolic And Cultural Associations