Madder watercolor paints

What is Rose Madder pigment? How is Rose Madder pigment made? What is usually used to mimic Rose Madder in watercolor today? Madder swatches

Rose Madder is a historic, natural pigment known for its soft, transparent pink-to-rose hue. It was especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries for its delicate, glowing color in watercolor and oil painting.

Its pigment index name is NR9 (Natural Red 9).

Rose Madder is made from the roots of the madder plant (Rubia tinctorum). The red dye (alizarin and purpurin) is extracted from the roots and then combined with a binding agent like alum to create a lake pigment. The process is time-consuming and sensitive, resulting in a color that’s beautiful but not very lightfast.

Because genuine Rose Madder fades over time, most modern watercolors use Quinacridone pigments, especially Quinacridone Rose (PV19), to mimic the color.

These synthetic alternatives offer similar transparency and hue, but with much better lightfastness and stability. You’ll often see them labeled as Rose Madder Hue.