Roses, wine and ladybugs: there is so much symbolism and nature to be discovered in the art of the color red. We see red everyday, it is the most noticeable color and yet it isn’t the color we think of first when we think of nature. And for good reason!
There is such an overwhelming amount of green and brown in nature. But I am here to tell you about the symbolic, natural and beautiful power of red. When it comes to symbolism, there is no better color.
Roses are used to symbolize love; blood is used to symbolize suffering; red lightsabers are used to symbolize sith. Red is used for symbolism precisely because it is such a striking color that can evoke so many emotions. Though perhaps the most well-known red symbol is wine.
Wine is used in literature to symbolize stature as well as bloodshed. Charles Dickens uses wine in his novel “A Tale of Two Cities” to symbolize the flowing of blood in the French revolution. In history, wine is spoken of as a luxury. And in Christianity, wine is heavily tied to the sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth on the cross.
The color red has been, and continues to be, a symbol of a vast range of things, from love, to death. But the color red isn’t just symbolic. Red is more of a natural color than most people realize. Berries, flowers, bugs, rocks, wood, leaves, animals, fire, the sun: the color red is painted all over our world, if you know where and when to look for it.
Red is one of the hardest colors to see in the most common forms of color-blindness: red-green color blindness. There is so much power in the nature of red, exhibited best in the burning colors of fire. But there is also so much innocence and meekness in the nature of red, exhibited best by the peaceful ladybug.
Just like words, colors have power, and knowing how to handle the power of the color red is essential for those using symbols but also for those who study the beauty of our world. Red has the power of unity, the power of sacrifice, the power of meekness, the power of gentleness, the power of luxury, the power of life and the power of death.