Redness and Power

Appearing in the middle of the second installment of Tristram Shandy is the marbled leaf that Laurence Sterne called the “motly emblem of my work.” This essay traces just one reagent involved in the making of that page, the bright red pigment called “rose pink.” It offers a history of that book that takes it seriously as a luxury commodity manufactured in an empire for color. Readers wishing to receive a hand-painted sample of that pigment may request one to be mailed, free of charge, at motleyemblem.org/rose-pink.