Roses Throughout History

Roses, like many other types of flowers, have strong, emotional connotations across all cultures. Around the world, many peoples have used the various colors of the rose to symbolize various emotions and parts of life. This flower has always had an air of inherent symbolism that is recognized the world over. Learning about the different aspects of the rose can make for interesting and fun research if you want a tattoo of this incredible flower. You’ll be sure to find something that fits with your situation and helps to convey the particular emotion you’re looking for.

A Symbol of Love

Traditionally, most of our thoughts towards the rose first go towards the red rose, a universal symbol of love and emotional connection. The passionate reds of these roses go well with the intensity we feel about love, as well as the compassionate power that it gives us when we have someone to love.

Rose Colors

Aside from the stereotypical red rose, there are a number of other colors that have their own unique symbolism and emotional aspects that make them great for any number of tattoo designs. From the traditional red rose to the unique symbolism of the pink and yellow variety, you’ll be able to choose exactly what you want for your own personal aesthetic.

The Allure of the Red Rose

Words that exemplify the red rose include: Passion Romance Beauty Love Power We use red roses to represent our affection for someone, as well as romantic interest, perhaps on a first date or when we first meet someone. As such, when choosing a tattoo design that includes the rose, a red one is perfect for that unrequited love and passion about someone or something.

Purity in Pink and White Roses

White and pink roses often symbolize the same values and virtues, but both complement one another in terms of purity. These traditionally feminine colors also carry an emotional weight to them, meaning compassion and support for a loved one or oneself.

Yellow Roses

Yellow roses offer us a symbol of friendship, luck, and health in life and living. Unlike the red rose, yellow varieties are a traditionally for platonic love, whether between friends, coworkers, or anyone in your circle of acquaintances. Use the yellow rose when thinking of these aspects: Joy Happiness Friendship Sun Cheerfulness As well as this, the yellow colored rose offers a “get well” form of meaning that can be useful when someone is sick or in the hospital, without the sort of “aggressiveness” of red roses. Since yellow is the traditional color of the sun, we can have these roses symbolize the warmth and light that the sun gives us. In tattoo art, we can use yellow roses to showcase our care for someone, as well as the cheerfulness that comes with the brightness of its color.

White

White roses, like black ones, also have a tinge of remembrance to them, whether for a loved one or a specific event. You can tailor this symbolism to your liking in any manner of tattoo designs, so do some research beforehand. Describing the white rose: Purity Weddings Innocence Remembrance New Beginnings

Pink

Pink roses have a certain gentleness and more of that inherent femininity that is indicative of their color. Children can often be represented by this rose in art, making it perfect for a “daughter” or “sister” tattoo design. In spite of being traditionally viewed as soft, pink roses can just as effectively showcase the calm clearness of their purity. Pink roses are often described as: Feminine Soft Sweet Graceful Happy

Black

Black roses embody: Inevitability Rebirth Death Changes in life and love Mysterious beauty While it may seem somber and melancholy, black roses are not just representative of sadness, but also remembrance. A rose, with or without thorns, and the Latin phrase “memento mori (remember death)” are often used to recognize the passing of a loved one who was very dear to us. As well as this, it can also convey that the inevitability of death does not mean that we need to fear it, or otherwise reject the meaning it gives to the life we currently live.

Tattoo Designs and Styles Utilizing Roses

Roses have always been present in the traditional tattoo scene, often pictured with their thorns and perhaps even a drop of blood. These flowers were almost always red roses, symbolizing the passionate and sometimes aggressive color flourish that comes with it. You’ll find a lot of examples of these classic tattoo art pieces in the portfolio of the artist you choose to create your design. Chances are, they’ve already done quite a few of them, for many different reasons. Some people choose to use a classic rose to represent a loved one, oftentimes with a name or other symbolic representation of them. Colorful roses are adored by many but many choose the black and grey style, where both men and women can rock the rose tattoo well! Roses in traditional art are also often seen with other elements of the classic style, including eagles, anchors, crosses and other motifs that go very effectively with all the other various elements that symbolize this powerful flower.

Personalize Your Rose

Whether you’re looking for something more classic like the aforementioned rose with thorns or something more contemporary and modern, you’ll be sure to find something you like if you look online or through art books. You can also create your own design with the help of your artist, whether or not you’re inspired by something that has come before. You can tell your artist about your idea and have them sketch it out before committing to anything. As well as this, you can also have them stencil out your art on the part of your body you want to see it on. This will give you an idea about how your piece looks, as well as give you time to mull over whether or not it’s the exact design you want. No matter how you choose to decorate yourself, you’ll be able to get the most personalized version of permanent art you can imagine.