Titian hair

A young woman with dark Titian hair.

Titian is a tint of red hair, most commonly described as brownish-orange in color.^[1] More so, Titian hair is specifically a bright color, with a tint of golden-brown. It ranges in shades from medium to dark. Like most red hair, it is commonly associated with light features.

Etymology

The term originates from Titian, an Italian painter who would often depict women with red hair of this description. Titian has been used as a hair color term in America as early as the 1800s, with women commonly using henna to dye their hair Titian. Until the 1980s, all red-haired Barbies were officially labelled "TITIAN", with Midge being the staple for the variant.

Discrepancy

Madonna and Child (1510), by Titian

Titian is commonly misused synonymously for other hair colors with similar definitions or hues of color.

Titian hair is mistaken with Venetian hair frequently due to similar definitions and origins. Definitions of Venetian hair describe it as also being reddish and golden in quality, but the dissociation is that Titian is a golden-brown, and Venetian a golden-yellow. The two are also often referred to as Titian-red and Venetian-blond, respectively.^[2][3] The origins of the formulas for these hair colors are also the same,^[4] but as the Venetian women had more methods to lighten their hair,^[4] the term Venetian is now specifically associated with the blond variety.

Titian hair is also commonly mistaken for auburn hair. While Titian hair is a brownish shade of red hair, auburn hair is a brownish shade of hair encompassing the actual color red. Most definitions of Titian hair describe it as a brownish-orange color,^[5] but some describe it as being reddish.^[6] This is in reference to red hair itself, not the color red.

See also

• Titian
• Red hair
• Auburn hair

References