Pompeian red
A deep red seen on ancient Roman walls and ceramics, named for the ruins of Pompeii
Pompeian red is a dark red colour, close to red ochre, found on the walls and ceramics of ancient Pompeii. The name comes from its strong presence in Roman mural painting, though the exact pigments and shades varied. Its rediscovery in the 18th century influenced European art and interior design.
Share on WhatsAppOpen in the lab
- Named for its use in Pompeii’s ancient murals
- Covers a range of deep ochre-reds, not one fixed shade
- Made from minerals like iron oxide and cinnabar
- Popular in 19th-century European interiors and museums
What colour is Pompeian red?
Pompeian red is a dark, ochre-based red seen on many ancient Roman walls and ceramics, especially in the city of Pompeii. It is not a single, fixed shade, but covers a range of deep reds, sometimes leaning towards brown or violet. The colour stands out for its strong link to Roman mural painting and the ruins of Pompeii, where it appears in abundance.
Where does Pompeian red come from?
The name Pompeian red comes from the ancient city of Pompeii, where this red was widely used in wall paintings and ceramics. The term became popular in the 18th century, after the rediscovery of Pompeii, and soon influenced European art and decoration. Museums and grand homes in the 19th century often used Pompeian red to evoke the style of Roman villas.
How Pompeian red is defined
Pompeian red is not tied to one pigment. Ancient painters in Pompeii used several minerals to create it, including iron oxide (red ochre), cinnabar, and sinopis. Sometimes yellow ochre was heated, turning it red. The actual shade could vary depending on the mix and layering of these pigments. Some red walls seen today may have originally been yellow before the eruption’s heat changed their colour.
Where Pompeian red is used
This colour was a favourite for decorating Roman houses and public buildings, especially in Pompeii. It was also used on ceramics and plaster. In later centuries, Pompeian red became popular in European interiors, museum walls, and buildings designed to recall Roman grandeur, such as the Pompejanum in Germany and the Pompeian House in Paris.
Red around the world
What the red family means from country to country.
The flag uses the four Pan-Arab colours: a red bar at the hoist with green, white and black bands. It was designed by a young Emirati, Abdullah Al Maainah, in 1971.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe flag is a black double-headed eagle on red, the banner of the fifteenth-century hero Skanderbeg. Fans chant Kuq e Zi, red and black.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of AlbaniaArmenian scribes painted manuscripts with vordan karmir, a crimson dye made from an insect that lives on the roots of grasses in the Ararat plain.
Sacred and holySource: Armenian cochinealUnder Juan Manuel de Rosas in the 1830s and 1840s, everyone had to wear a scarlet ribbon to show loyalty to his Federalist party. His enemies, the Unitarians, were tied to sky blue.
Politics and protestFearSource: Juan Manuel de RosasThe flag is red, white and red. Legend says Duke Leopold V's white tunic was soaked in blood at the siege of Acre, all but the band under his belt.
Politics and protestCourageSource: Flag of AustriaRed ochre is used in Aboriginal rock art and ceremony, and is traded over long distances. In the Aboriginal flag the red half stands for the earth and for that ochre.
Sacred and holyNature and renewalAweSource: Australian Aboriginal flagShades and relatives of Pompeian red
Pompeian red refers to a group of dark reds, not a single shade. It is close to red ochre but can shift towards brown or violet. It is sometimes confused with other ancient reds like sinopia. The colour seen today may differ from what ancient Romans saw, as some walls changed from yellow to red due to volcanic heat.
Colours that go with Pompeian red
Harmonies are worked out from the value #A22E37. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Pompeian red
What colour is Pompeian red?
Pompeian red is a deep, ochre-based red, sometimes tending towards brown or violet, seen on ancient Roman walls and ceramics, especially in Pompeii.
Where does the name Pompeian red come from?
The name comes from the city of Pompeii, where this red was widely used in wall paintings and ceramics. The term became popular after the site's rediscovery in the 18th century.
What pigments were used to make Pompeian red?
Ancient painters used iron oxide (red ochre), cinnabar, sinopis, and sometimes yellow ochre that turned red when heated.
Is Pompeian red a single, standard colour?
No, Pompeian red refers to a range of dark reds found in Roman painting, not a fixed shade or pigment.
How has Pompeian red influenced later art and design?
After Pompeii was rediscovered, the colour became fashionable in European art, museums, and interiors, especially in the 19th century.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Pompeian red", 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.
More of the red family
All of red
Red
Cinnabar
A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature · 🇪🇸 Spain +5
Red
Realgar
An orange-red arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and poisonPigment · 🇨🇳 China +5
#E25822
Scarlet
A bright red with a touch of orange, long tied to power, sacrifice and sinNamed shade · 🇹🇷 Turkey +4
#E34234
Vermilion
A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment · 🇹🇷 Turkey +5
Red
Rubia
A group of plants whose roots once dyed cloth and paint a lasting redColour named from nature · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5
#DC143C
Crimson
A deep red with a hint of purple, once made from insectsNamed shade · 🇳🇵 Nepal
#800000
Maroon
A deep brownish red named for the French word for chestnutNamed shade · 🇦🇺 Australia +4
Red
Sindoorसिन्दूर
A red or orange-red powder marking marriage for Hindu women in South AsiaTraditional colour · 🇮🇳 India +4