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Ultramarine Violet
#5C4EA0 · click to copy
Cool
HEX
#5C4EA0
RGB
92, 78, 160
CMYK
43%, 51%, 0%, 37%
Pigment
PV15
Lightfastness
Very Good (I–II)
Pigment & Material
PV15
Synthetic
Modified lazurite complex (PV15). Semi-transparent, slightly warm violet-blue. Excellent lightfastness. Related chemistry to ultramarine blue but with a distinct hue shift.
Origin & History
Ultramarine violet was developed as part of the ultramarine pigment family — the same chemistry that produces ultramarine blue can be modified to produce violet and pink variants. Its development gave artists a non-toxic, permanent violet in the ultramarine family.
Also Known As
Violet Ultramarine
French Violet
Ultramarine Pink (paler variants)
Psychology
Transparent, clean, and harmonious. Ultramarine violet has the family resemblance of ultramarine blue — its transparency and luminosity are consistent with its blue sibling. It sits naturally alongside blues in a palette, creating harmonious transitions from blue through violet.
In Culture
Ultramarine violet is less well-known than its blue sibling but has devoted followers among watercolourists for its transparency, non-toxicity, and natural harmony with ultramarine blue. It represents the invisible extension of one of history's most important pigment families.
Natural Sources
No natural source — ultramarine violet is produced by modifying the synthesis conditions for ultramarine blue (PB29). Varying the sulfur compounds used produces a range from blue through violet to pink.
Making It Yourself
Ultramarine violet is synthesised industrially as a variant of ultramarine blue — not available for home production.
As a palette colour: it offers a clean, transparent, non-toxic violet.
Mix with ultramarine blue for richer blue-violet.
Mix with quinacridone rose for warm mauve.
As a palette colour: it offers a clean, transparent, non-toxic violet.
Mix with ultramarine blue for richer blue-violet.
Mix with quinacridone rose for warm mauve.
Art Movements
Contemporary Painting
Watercolour
Famous Works
Contemporary watercolour painting broadly
Used by artists seeking non-toxic violet options
Available As
Winsor & Newton — Ultramarine Violet (PV15)
Daniel Smith — Ultramarine Violet (PV15)
M. Graham — Ultramarine Violet
Sennelier — Ultramarine Violet
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Colour data compiled with AI. Spot an error or have more to add? Leave a Note — ekphra reviews and updates.
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