The Many Meanings of Red: From Danger to Desire, Wealth to Love

Few colours are as emotionally charged as red. It is the colour of fire and blood, of passion and peril, of revolution and celebration. Throughout history, art and popular culture, red has carried shifting, sometimes contradictory, meanings. It's a complicated colour. From the devil’s cloak to Dorothy’s ruby slippers, red continues to capture our imagination.

Below, I explore the many faces of red, and the stories, myths, and symbols that give this colour its enduring power.

Below: Little Red protective cover for iPhone

Danger and Warning 🚒

Red is the colour our eyes notice first, which is why it has long been linked with danger. Ancient cultures used red ochre in burial rites to symbolise blood and mortality. In medieval art, the devil was often painted in vivid red as an unmistakable cue of temptation, destruction, and fire.

Red warns us, and keeps us alert

This association continues today: stop signs, sirens, and emergency signals all rely on red to demand immediate attention. Designers and artists embraced red for its vibrancy and ability to command attention. A red artwork in the room will draw the eye and focus attention on your hero piece. In both art and décor, a flash of red can instantly transform a room, lending it depth, drama, and vitality.

Below: Defensive line canvas print

Strength and Power 👑

Red has clothed rulers, warriors, and leaders

For the Romans, red was the colour of victory. Soldiers fought under red standards, and generals wore crimson to project authority. Emperors wrapped themselves in scarlet cloaks as marks of their supremacy. Later, Catholic cardinals adopted red robes to represent both spiritual fire and their readiness to sacrifice for their faith.

Red’s power also shows up in art and portraiture, where monarchs and nobles were painted wearing crimson velvets and silk to assert wealth and dominance. Even in the modern world, red remains a political colour, as seen emblazoned on revolutionary flags and movements as a call to strength and unity.

In Renaissance and Baroque palaces, crimson velvet draperies and red damask wallpaper expressed luxury and authority. The Victorians embraced rich red wallpapers and carpets to create warmth and intimacy. You can add warmth and intimacy to a room with red accents and touches.

Lust, Temptation, and Desire 💋

Red seduces and fascinates

Few colours are as tied to sensuality as red. In Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Red Shoes, a girl’s obsession with her shoes becomes her downfall, cursed to dance endlessly until death, as a warning against vanity and unchecked desire. Likewise, Little Red Riding Hood’s cloak has often been interpreted as a metaphor for emerging sexuality, which makes her vulnerable to the wolf’s predation.

In everyday life and art, red continues to seduce. Red lipstick, celebrated by painters such as Tamara de Lempicka in her glamorous portraits of women, symbolises allure, boldness, and feminine power. From Hollywood’s femme fatales to Marilyn Monroe, the red lip endures as a timeless emblem of beauty and confidence, and is often employed by artists in portraiture.

Wealth and Prosperity 🧧

In Chinese culture, red symbolises good luck and abundance and is seen most clearly in the tradition of gifting red envelopes at Lunar New Year and weddings. In the West, the “red carpet” became a global shorthand for luxury and celebrity, rolled out to honour kings, queens, and Hollywood stars alike.

Red signals celebration and fortune

In theatre and musicals, Annie’s iconic red dress symbolises hope and resilience against the backdrop of poverty, radiating optimism for a better future. In art history, red pigments were among the most costly to create, derived from rare minerals or crushed cochineal beetles, so artists reserved them for subjects of wealth and significance.

Resilience, Love, and Belonging 🌹

Red brings us home

Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz do more than sparkle; they embody resilience and the power of homecoming. Red has also become the universal colour of love, from Valentine’s Day roses and hearts to Cupid’s arrow itself. And in a more joyful register, Santa Claus’s famous red suit evokes generosity, warmth, and festivity, cemented in popular imagination by both folklore and early Coca-Cola advertising.

Artists, too, have turned to red to symbolise emotional depth and connection. Marc Chagall often wove fiery reds into his dreamlike canvases, representing both passion and spiritual love.

Below: Offside painting by Leah Mariani

In art, history, and design, red remains both universal and deeply personal. It is a colour that embodies contradictions and yet always feels undeniably alive. In our homes, red continues to be a favourite accent. Whether appearing in an artwork or boldly on a feature wall, it brings warmth, confidence, and a sense of drama to a space. A pop of red can energise a minimalist room or add depth to an eclectic one.  

Red is more than just decoration. It has meaning. It is the heartbeat of human life and storytelling. ❤️