Showa era
Isabella Color & Red Violet
Plate 4 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Isabella Color, Red Violet.
#59256a
purple · 8 palettes
Red Violet
About Red Violet
Red Violet is a deep, muted purple tone. Its hex value is #59256a — that is
RGB 89, 37, 106, or HSL 285°, 48%, 28%.
It holds 11.1:1 contrast against white, so Red Violet works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 11.1:1; on black 1.9:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Red Violet appears in 8 combinations — most often paired with Dull Viridian Green, Isabella Color and Brick Red.
Colours that go with Red Violet
From a standard colour wheel, Red Violet anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#59256a #366A25
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#59256a #36256A #6A2559
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#59256a #6A5925 #256A59
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#59256a #596A25 #256A36
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Red Violet
Red Violet is a deep, muted tone (HSL 285°, 48%, 28%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (11.1:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#366A25) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#36256A and #6A2559) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Red Violet
Red Violet appears in 8 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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