What colors are in the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette?

Madder Brown & Violet Blue contains 2 colors: Madder Brown (#762c19), Violet Blue (#40456a). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette belong to?

Madder Brown & Violet Blue is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 98 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Madder Brown, Violet Blue.

Can I use the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Madder Brown & Violet Blue — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 98 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A two-colour pairing of Madder Brown, Violet Blue, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 98 of Wada's 348 anchors Madder Brown and Violet Blue in the red family — a 2-colour grouping with a solemn, warm, austere character, recorded in Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations (six volumes; Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint), and in the public domain by age. Its strongest pairing — Madder Brown on Violet Blue — reaches a contrast ratio of 1.06:1, below the WCAG text-contrast floor, so it reads best in decorative blocks rather than text pairings.

Studio

Taking Madder Brown & Violet Blue off the screen

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...onto paper

Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.

Pantone

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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...onto a screen you can trust

Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.

Calibrite

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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...by hand

Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.

Kuretake

Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau

Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: solemn, warm, austere
Colors: 2

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Madder Brown on Violet Blue — 1.06:1 (Fail)

Madder Brown·Violet Blue1.06:1Fail

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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Preview

From the editorial · Long read

Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

What it actually means for color when a tradition values age over newness — the tea-room palette, three exemplars, and the anti-patterns to avoid.

Read the article →

Colors that go with these shades

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Branding.

Heian era

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Deep safflower crimson against navy — the courtly contrast of Heian-era robes and formal Edo textiles.

Muromachi era

Scorched Brown & Unbleached— 焦茶と生成

The dark brown of scorched wood against unbleached hemp — quiet materials.

Edo era

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

The rooted red of madder-dyed cotton set against enduring pine green.

Edo era

Persimmon & Burnt Brown— 柿と焦茶

Autumn persimmon against scorched cedar — harvest colors from the countryside.

Edo era

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

The deep lake crimson of cochineal against pine needle green — winter evergreen.

Kamakura era

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

The ceremonial triad of temple lacquerware — vermillion, lacquer black, gold leaf.

See the full color palettes for branding collection →

Questions about Madder Brown & Violet Blue

What colors are in the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette?: Madder Brown & Violet Blue contains 2 colors: Madder Brown (#762c19), Violet Blue (#40456a). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).
When was the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette created?: This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.
What style or era does the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette belong to?: Madder Brown & Violet Blue is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 98 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Madder Brown, Violet Blue.
Can I use the "Madder Brown & Violet Blue" palette in my own design?: Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

Madder Brown & Deep Indigo

Plate 28 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Madder Brown, Deep Indigo.

Showa era

Brick Red & Red Violet

Plate 37 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brick Red, Red Violet.

Showa era

Taupe Brown & Slate Color

Plate 57 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Taupe Brown, Slate Color.

Madder Brown & Violet Blue

About this combination

Historical context

Taking Madder Brown & Violet Blue off the screen

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau

Embed this palette

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.

Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Branding.

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Scorched Brown & Unbleached— 焦茶と生成

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

Persimmon & Burnt Brown— 柿と焦茶

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

Questions about Madder Brown & Violet Blue

Madder Brown & Deep Indigo

Brick Red & Red Violet

Taupe Brown & Slate Color

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