Colorant compound and ink including the colorant compound

An ink for ink jet recording comprising an aqueous medium and a colorant compound represented by a general formula (1) below:

• wherein
• R1 and R2 represent independently from each other a species selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, and an aralkyl group;
• R3 represents a species selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a cyano group, and —COR5, where R5 is a species selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, and an amino group;
• R4 represents a species selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, and an aralkyl group;
• Cy represents an aryl group;
• and
• at least one anionic group may be present in the general formula (1).