This is an article about the colour mauve. For information on the Flemish painter, see Anton Mauve.

Mauve (pronounce to rhyme with "Jove" and "stove") is a pale purple colour.  It is similar to lavender and lilac.  The name comes from French form of malva meaning the "mallow" flower. 

Another name for this color is mallow.

The first recorded use of mallow as a colour name in English was in 1611.  

In 1856, an eighteen year old Chemist William Henry Perkin was trying to make artificial quinine. An unexpected residue caught his eye. It turned out to be the first aniline dye, mauveine.

Meaning of mauve 

 Mauve became very popular in the 1890s.  This decade was sometimes referred to as the Mauve Decade, because William Henry Perkin's aniline dye allowed the widespread use of that colour in fashion.  

 The colour mauve became associated with homosexuality because well known figures in the art world during the 1890s--a decade that was called the Mauve Decade--were gay such as author Oscar Wilde and artist Aubrey Beardsley.

Tones of mauve colour comparison chart
 Almost Mauve (Pantone TPX 12-2103) (Hex: #EBE1DF) (RGB: 235, 225, 223)
 Mauve Morn (Pantone TPX 12-2102) (Hex: #EBDBDB) (RGB: 235, 219, 219)
 Mauve Chalk (Pantone TPX 12-2902) (Hex: #E4D3D2) (RGB: 228, 211, 210)
 Mauvette (Plochere) (Mauve Pink) (Hex: #E8CCD7) (RGB: 232, 204, 215)
 Deep Mauve Pink (Hex: #DE4BEB) (RGB: 228, 190, 235)
 Pale Lilac (Light Mauve) (Hex: #DCD0FF) (RGB: 220, 208, 255)
 MAUVE (Mallow)  (www.99colors.net) (Maerz and Paul) (Hex: #E0B0FF) (RGB: 224, 176, 255) 
 Rich Mauve (Mauve (Crayola colored pencils)) (Hex: #E285FF) (RGB: 226, 133, 255)
 French Mauve (Deep Mauve) (Mauve (Pourpre.com)) (Hex: #D473D4) (RGB: 212, 115, 212)
 Medium Mauve (Mauve (ISCC-NBS)) (Hex: #D399E6) (RGB: 211, 153, 230)
 Bright Mallow Pink (Hex: #D498CB) (RGB: 212, 152, 203)
 Mallow Pink (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #D597AE) (RGB: 213, 151, 174)
 Mauvelous (Crayola) (Hex: #EF98AA) (RGB: 239, 152, 170)
 Bright Mauve Glow (Mauve Glow (Pantone TPX 16-1617)) (Hex: #D0868E) (RGB: 208, 134, 142)
 Moonlite Mauve (Pantone TPX 16-2614) (Hex: #D290B5) (RGB: 210, 144, 181)
 Bright Opera Mauve (Opera Mauve (Pantone TPX 16-3116)) (Hex: #CD81B8) (RGB: 205, 129, 184)
 Opera Mauve (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #CA82AF) (RGB: 202, 130, 175)
 Pale Mauve (Pantone TPX 15-1607) (Hex: #CFA4A4) (RGB: 197, 164, 164)
 Bright Mauve Mist (Mauve Mist (Pantone TPX 15-2307)) (Hex: #C49FBA) (RGB: 196, 159, 186)
 Mauve Mist (Plochere) (Hex: #C3A6B1) (RGB: 195, 166, 177)
 Mauve Shadows (Pantone TPX 16-3205) (Hex: #B89CA9) (RGB: 184, 156, 169)
 Deauville Mauve (Pantone TPX 16-1707) (Hex: #AD9194) (RGB: 173, 145, 148)
 Mauve Glow (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #AD8884) (RGB: 173, 160, 132)
 Dull Mauve (Mauve (Pantone 4154C)) (Hex: #A17E9A) (RGB: 161, 126, 154)
 Rocket Metallic (Resene color list) (Hex: #8A7F8D) (RGB: 138, 127, 141)
 Mountbatten Pink (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #997A8D) (RGB: 154, 122, 141)
 Mauve Orchid (Pantone TPX 16-2111) (Hex: #B37E9A) (RGB: 179, 126, 154)
 Orchid Mauve (ISCC-NBS #251) (Hex: #C17E91) (RGB: 193, 126, 145)
 Mauvewood (Pantone TPX 17-1522) (Hex: #AB5C6D) (RGB: 171, 92, 109)
 Mallow Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #A8516E) (RGB: 168, 81, 110)
 Vietnamese Mauve (Hex: #993366) (RGB: 153, 51, 102)
 Dahlia Mauve (Pantone TPX 17-2617) (Hex: #A85387) (RGB: 168, 83, 135)
 Meadow Mauve (Pantone TPX 18-3230) (Hex: #A55790) (RGB: 165, 87, 144)
 Mellow Mauve (Pantone TPX 17-1612) (Hex: #99637B) (RGB: 153, 99, 123)
 Mauve Taupe (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #915F6D) (RGB: 145, 95, 109)
 Wistful Mauve (Pantone TPX 17-1511) (Hex: #976F7B) (RGB: 151, 111, 123)
 Twilight Mauve (Pantone TPX 18-1807) (Hex: #896F73) (RGB: 137, 111, 115)
 Old Mauve (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #673147) (RGB: 103, 49, 71)
 Mauve Wine (Pantone TPX 18-1807) (Hex: #5D3B4C) (RGB: 93, 59, 76)

Related pages
List of colors

References