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surface on the canvas. In Pablo Picasso's Rose Period, his exuberance derived from his relationship with Fernande Olivier emerged with warm colors of reds, oranges and pinks. Artistically, physiological vigor of emotions is the catalyst to symbolic tangible hues. Whether conscious or not, even these artists followed contemporary chromotherapy in color choice.

Throughout history, red enjoys a multihued persona. Implicative of multitudinous emotions, it has been supposed that red was the first delineated color in antiquity, signifying a source of life and energy. Gladiators in the Colosseum drank the blood of their conquered to symbolize harnessing of the victim's strength. Shimmering rubies and deep garnets charmed spirits of evil away, supposedly an invincible air bestowed upon the wearer. Eighteenth century brides introduced the red veil, still common practice in the surrounding areas of Greece, to ensure love and fertility. Mythology and Christianity, too, dedicate the red rose to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and the Cross, respectively.

So, what is it about the sensuous power of red, so explicitly symbolic of passion and energy and so emphatically used to reignite the body and the mind? Why does it so mysteriously and surreptitiously grab hold of the senses and invigorate them to acute measures? Red remains the token symbol of passion. In the mind's eye, do not wine, silk, roses and other assorted aphrodisiacs surface while you inwardly simper? The blushing hue that sends electric shivers up and down our spines boasts many faces. In art, it is spirited and passionate; in society, it is powerful and attention-grabbing; in psychology, it is invigorating and transforming; in science, it is robust and primary; in a word, it is red.

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