Red Ochre: The Earliest Red Pigment

“The Revenge,” a story in The Deadliest Deceptions, begins with Miriam and Phoebe in their favorite restaurant: “Phoebe and I were about to peruse the luncheon menu when I let out a shriek. Even a stifled yawn would have been uncouth in this, our most fashionable restaurant.”

Well, you know how one thing leads to another. Before long, Miriam, dressed as a prostitute, goes to the Lady Luck, a waterfront saloon:

I painted my lips and cheeks with red ochre, blackened my lashes and eyebrows with ashes, plaited my hair with ribbons, and hiked up my hem so any opals of phlegm on the floor wouldn’t stain my skirt. And when I checked my reflection on the surface of the pool, I had to throw a wave to make sure it was really me.

The first red pigment ever discovered, red ochre, a naturally occurring iron mineral, was derived from iron-rich rocks hundreds of thousands of years ago. Roman women used the pigment to tint their lips and cheeks, invoking some of the early sexualized associations with the color red. In addition, red ochre appears in wall art, interiors, and clothing. Referring to the ochre family of colors as “red earths”, ancient Roman author Pliny observed them to be “found in abundance in many places.”

Because ochre is a mineral, it doesn't wash away or decay, allowing it to persist through the ages. And because its color adheres to surfaces including the skin, it makes an ideal cosmetic. Like red ochre, the imaginings you create as you read The Deadliest Deceptions will persist with you as well. Just click here.