Use of hydroxyanthraquinones for the coloration of human keratin fibres, and process and composition in which they are used.The composition contains, in a cosmetically acceptable medium, at least one hydroxyanthraquinone of the formula: ##STR1## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 independently of one another denote a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, an alkyl group substituted, for example, by a hydroxyl, amino or acyl group, an alkoxy group, a nitro group, a halogen group, a group SO.sub.3 H, CHO, CO.sub.2 H or SO.sub.3 Na, or a group --CO.sub.2 R', in which R' denotes alkyl or an alkali metal, with the proviso that: at least two of the groups R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 denote hydroxyl, and that if R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 denote OH, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 denoting hydrogen, then at least one of the two groups R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is different from hydrogen, or alternatively if R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 denote OH, R.sub.2 and R.sub.4 denoting hydrogen and one or two of the substituents R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 denoting hydroxyl, then at least one of the substituents R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7 and R.sub.8 is different from hydrogen, alkyl or halogen.