A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
-Fair as a star, when only one
Is shining in the sky.
– William Wordsworth 1770-1850
Violet is one of the very oldest colours used by man. Long before Newton discovered it as part of the visual spectrum of colours, it was used in prehistoric paintings, found on the cave walls in Pech Merle, France and it has been preoccupying artists and writers ever since.
Visually, it can be hard to pin down; one person’s violet might be another’s lilac or lavender or just plain purple. And yet violet retains its own particular character – representing just its own shade but perhaps something more luminous: a mood, a feeling, a state of mind.
Writers have long been absorbed by those delicate pastel shades of wildflowers: modest, understated flashes of colour that appear briefly before shrinking back into the shadows. In poetry, it conjures introspection and unrequited love – Sylvia Plath described her love for Ted Hughes as a ‘nodding spray of wet violet’. Most famously perhaps, violet is the dominant colour of the Impressionists, credited for capturing the physical sensations of light and air in their paintings.
Our own shade of violet is inspired by the delicacy of wildflowers, dusky summer evenings and childhood memories of wandering about with one’s head in the clouds. Our violet moonflower linen works wonderfully when creating wistful spaces; we recommend in bedroom and morning rooms with plenty of daylight. For something a little stronger, we love our Reverse Dusky Mauve Megha cushion our Violet Olive Harlequin Lambswool Throw. Or for an added touch of nostalgia, pair it with silk in stronger shades of pink and green.
