Raw Umber
Brief History, Fashion + Interior Design, Pantone® & More
Happy Tuesday! This week’s color is Raw Umber—an ancient, rich, earthy tone that’s rooted in both nature and artistry of the Baroque era.
Believe it or not, this mysteriously timeless shade has quietly shaped some of the most dramatic centuries-old masterpieces in art history.
Brief History
This natural earth pigment, made from iron and manganese oxides, takes its name from the Umbria region of Italy—take a look below!
As I mentioned earlier, the color it found its true fame on the palettes of 17th-century painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt.
In the first painting below, you can see how Caravaggio used the shade to form the foundation of his dramatic lighting. Raw umber similarly lived in the shadows of Rembrandt’s portraits, also helping create atmosphere.
More soil than spotlight, the color has been used for centuries to ground compositions, evoke mood, and bring depth to the canvas.
Fashion
Gucci Resort 2026
Here, a couple of variations on Raw Umber appear in Gucci’s Resort 2026 collection through glossy trenches and textured tailoring.
Rachel Comey Resort 2026
Rachel Comey, on the other hand explores Raw Umber through soft textures, subtle layering and fur accents.
Interior Design
Raw Umber is just one of those colors that excels at effortlessly adding mood, weight, and dimension. It’s versatile, adding depth without creating a sense darkness, and adding just enough warmth.
In the spaces below, for example, Raw Umber brings a grounded warmth that feels both sculptural and serene:
In minimalist interiors, it acts like a grounding force—rich against soft neutrals, polished woods, or poured concrete. In more maximalist spaces, it layers beautifully with velvet, brass, and saturated jewel tones.
Pantone® & More
This isn’t the exact shade of Raw Umber you saw earlier, but Pantone has their own variation—Pantone 17-1422 TCX. It’s still in the same family, just this one is slightly warmer. More color details below:
HEX: #826644
RGB: (130, 102, 68)
CMYK: (0, 22, 48, 49)
This earthy tone might not steal the spotlight—but that’s exactly what makes it great. It’s a color of support, depth, and timeless expression.
As always, thank you so much for reading—your support is greatly appreciated. If you enjoyed learning about Raw Umber, please give this post a like so I know what you guys want to see more of:)