Page "Crimson" Paragraph 2

Carmine is the name given to the dye made from the dried bodies of the female cochineal, although the name crimson is sometimes applied to these dyes too.

Cochineal appears to have been brought to Europe during the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniard Hernán Cortés, and the name ' carmine ' is derived from the French carmin.

It was first described by Mathioli in 1549.

The pigment is also called cochineal after the insect from which it is made.