Throughout history, no colour has stirred emotion, conveyed power, or transformed a space quite like deep red. From the grand frescoes of ancient Rome to the sumptuous salons of the 19th century, and from religious iconography to contemporary art, burgundy, oxblood, and claret have remained constant in their capacity to captivate.

Today, this rich, opulent hue is enjoying a powerful resurgence in both interior design and fine art, converging beautifully in works like our Salvator Mundi.

Red has always been more than a colour, it’s a symbol. In ancient Rome, vivid reds like “Pompeian red” adorned the villas of the elite, reflecting power, sensuality, and protection. By the Renaissance and Baroque eras, deep reds became a staple in religious art, chosen for their spiritual weight and visual intensity. They appeared in the robes of saints, in backgrounds that conveyed the gravity of the divine, and in the dramatic chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and his followers.

In parallel, red became integral to interior spaces. During the Georgian and Victorian periods, dining rooms, libraries, and parlours were dressed in oxblood and burgundy, colours that suggested intellect, wealth, and intimacy. Deep red walls absorbed flickering candlelight and cast a warm glow, offering the perfect backdrop for serious conversation, fine art, and reflection.

Artists have long used red to draw the eye and provoke the heart. It is the colour of sacrifice, royalty, and resurrection, themes that have dominated Western art for centuries. In Christian iconography, red is often associated with both Christ’s suffering and His kingship, giving it a dual meaning of mortality and divinity.

This symbolic complexity is beautifully embodied in our Salvator Mundi, which depicts the enduring mystery of Christ as saviour of the world. The deep red undertones in the painting’s palette echo the rich legacy of sacred art while feeling distinctly modern, intimate, soulful, and charged with meaning.

To hang our Salvator Mundi in a deep red dining room would be to create something extraordinary: a dialogue between wall and canvas, history and modernity, silence and speech. The red of the room amplifying the emotional resonance of the painting, drawing out its stillness, highlighting its divine ambiguity, and casting the figure of Christ in a regal, almost ethereal glow.

It becomes a focal point, inspires reflection, and invites reverence.

In an era of pale neutrals and minimalist interiors, the return of deep red signals a shift: toward richness, storytelling, and emotional connection. It is a colour that doesn’t whisper, it speaks clearly and confidently. When used thoughtfully, especially in harmony with powerful artwork, red can elevate a space from beautiful to unforgettable.

So whether you’re curating a room, a gallery wall, or a singular moment of impact, consider the colour that has ruled for centuries, and which painting you will adorn it with.