Caput mortuum
A deep purple pigment made from iron oxide, once used for painting robes
No single value: Caput mortuum is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, purple and violet.
Caput mortuum is a purple shade of hematite iron oxide pigment, once valued for its strong, deep colour. Its name, meaning 'dead head' in Latin, refers to its origins as a byproduct of chemical processes. It was especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries for painting the robes of religious and important figures.
- Caput mortuum means 'dead head' in Latin
- It is a purple form of hematite iron oxide pigment
- Used for painting robes of religious and important figures
- Was a byproduct of sulfuric acid production
- Most popular in the 18th and 19th centuries
What colour is Caput mortuum?
Caput mortuum is a deep, muted purple pigment made from a form of iron oxide called hematite. The colour stands out for its earthy, subdued tone, which is darker than most other purples. It was often chosen for its rich, sombre quality, making it suitable for serious or dignified subjects in art.
Where does Caput mortuum come from?
The name caput mortuum comes from Latin, meaning 'dead head'. This refers to its status as a leftover or useless residue in alchemy, where iron oxide was seen as the end product of oxidation. The pigment was first produced as a byproduct during sulfuric acid manufacturing in the 17th and 18th centuries, possibly linked to the copperas process, which was also used for making other iron-based reds.
How is Caput mortuum made?
Caput mortuum was originally obtained as a byproduct from making sulfuric acid. The process involved iron compounds, which, when oxidised, produced iron oxide (hematite). This mineral was then ground into a fine powder to make the pigment, giving it its characteristic purple shade.
Where Caput mortuum is used
Artists used caput mortuum mainly in oil painting and for dyeing paper. Its deep purple colour made it a popular choice for depicting the robes of religious figures and patrons, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. The pigment’s earthy tone also lent itself to other uses in art and textiles.
Purple around the world
What the purple and violet family means from country to country.
In Holy Week, members of religious brotherhoods walk in procession in robes and pointed hoods, many of them purple, the colour of penance. A purple band also marked the flag of the Second Republic.
Sacred and holyPolitics and protestSource: Holy Week in SpainSuffragettes campaigning for women's votes wore purple, white and green: purple for dignity, white for purity and green for hope.
Politics and protestCourageSource: SuffragetteA child born to a reigning Byzantine emperor was called porphyrogennetos, born in the purple. The birth took place in a palace room lined with purple stone.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Born in the purpleIn the elections of 2005, voters dipped a finger in purple ink to prevent double voting. The stained finger, held up for cameras, became a sign of the vote.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Election inkPurple dye from the murasaki plant was costly and hard to make. In the court rank system set up under Prince Shotoku, the highest officials wore purple caps.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Twelve Level Cap and Rank SystemThe Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon made Tyrian purple from sea snails. The dye was so costly that it became the colour of kings and Roman emperors.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Tyrian purpleShades and relatives of Caput mortuum
Caput mortuum is sometimes confused with other iron oxide pigments like Venetian red and copperas red, but it is distinct for its purple hue. These related pigments share a similar mineral base but differ in colour, with Venetian red being more red and caput mortuum more purple.
Questions people ask about Caput mortuum
What colour is caput mortuum?
Caput mortuum is a deep, muted purple shade made from hematite iron oxide. It has an earthy, sombre appearance, darker than most other purples.
Where does the name caput mortuum come from?
The name comes from Latin and means 'dead head'. It refers to its origin as a residue or byproduct in alchemy and chemical processes.
What was caput mortuum used for?
It was mainly used in oil painting and paper dyeing, especially for painting the robes of religious and important figures in the 18th and 19th centuries.
How was caput mortuum made?
It was produced as a byproduct during the manufacture of sulfuric acid, where iron compounds were oxidised to form hematite, which was then ground into pigment.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Caput mortuum (pigment)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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