book data
391 ratings,
3.95
average rating, 98 reviews
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published
December 30th 2003
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
binding
Paperback, 464 pages
isbn
0812971426
(isbn13: 9780812971422)
description
Discover the tantalizing true stories behind your favorite colors.
For example: Cleopatra used saffron—a source of the color yellow—for seduction. Extr...more
For example: Cleopatra used saffron—a source of the color yellow—for seduction. Extr...more
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avg 3.95
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in January, 2006
In an impressive mix of history, science and travelogue. Ms. Finlay shares with her readers the results of her worldwide search for the pigments and dyes and that humankind has used over the ages. Each color (including black and white) is represented in a separate section, where she weaves stories of fictional and real-life people into her research with entertaining results.
From Australian sacred ochers to Phoenician royal purple; from Incan reds to Chinese imperial greens - this bo...more
From Australian sacred ochers to Phoenician royal purple; from Incan reds to Chinese imperial greens - this bo...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
artists, craftspeople, historians
Funny story with this book - got to page 112 and discovered that pages 113 to 146 were missing! Thankfully, Random House (publisher) came to the rescue and sent me a replacement copy. Until it came I was in suspense about how ladies used to poison themselves (by accident) with white cosmetics that were made from lead.
This book was interesting not only for the information about colors, but also for the author's travels. She went to great lengths to get to the source of some colors,...more
This book was interesting not only for the information about colors, but also for the author's travels. She went to great lengths to get to the source of some colors,...more
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
any artistic soul
LOVE me a book where I can pick a chapter and read up on what's been taunting my mind - thus I love anthologies and various other collections.
in Color, I found a fantastic historical recounting of the who/where/why/what of much of our commonly accempted color palette. And that alone means something, because there is a surprisingly low ratio of 'general citizens' who knows REALLY what color is about, how it's made, how we wrestled/negotiated/bullied our ways into being enjoyers/purvey...more
in Color, I found a fantastic historical recounting of the who/where/why/what of much of our commonly accempted color palette. And that alone means something, because there is a surprisingly low ratio of 'general citizens' who knows REALLY what color is about, how it's made, how we wrestled/negotiated/bullied our ways into being enjoyers/purvey...more
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Whimsy! It has all the adventure of any good travel book as the journalist-author seeks the mysterious origins of various dyes, and enough conversation pieces to satisfy any connoisseur of arcane knowledge.
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Read in March, 2007
This was an enjoyable book to read, but ultimately more of a travel book than a book about color. The adventures of the author tend to be given rather more weight than the subject.
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this is an excellent book - if you are at all interested in historical pigments and where they came/come from - finlay weaves interesting anecdotes as she travels the world
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Read in November, 2008
This book is really quite wonderful. It is nice that it is about color and not about painting. In focusing on the color itself, the author acknowledges that painting, fiber, clay, etc. were not separated media in the course of history and that fine crafts were (and are) extremely valuable. Also, the book ties in the historical and geographical significance of the innovations in color through the authors travels- which are amazing. Some travel details are documented a little meticulously, but the...more
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Read in December, 2007
Where do the pigments come from in artist's paint? That is the central theme of this book. If you have ever wondered what ochre is, or what the first artists of the world used, this book will answer those questions. Victoria Finlay has researched and travelled the world to bring the palette to life and it is a fascinating journey. How pigments are extracted, the history of each pigment is given its own color chapter - it progresses from the earliest pigments to the most recent. A wonderful resou...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in May, 2008
Having an affinity for all things color, I was attracted to the cover of Color: A Natural History of the Palette while visiting the Met one afternoon about a year ago. I bought it and have been reading it for the past year.
I'm sad to say that I found the cover to be the best part of this book. The book wasn't bad, but it also was nowhere near great. Finlay sets about the task of researching the origins of the pigments of the paintbox: Ochre, Black & Brown, White, Red, Orange, Ye...more
I'm sad to say that I found the cover to be the best part of this book. The book wasn't bad, but it also was nowhere near great. Finlay sets about the task of researching the origins of the pigments of the paintbox: Ochre, Black & Brown, White, Red, Orange, Ye...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
Art Enthusiasts
It took a while to finish, but this book was pretty darn compelling. I'm actually a bit surprised by the order of the chapters (each chapter follows the authors foray into the history of that color), because the last couple chapters were the strongest. The author (a former arts journalist for the South China Morning Post) sneaks into Afghanistan during the Taliban rule to take a look at the Lapis Lazuli mines and treks all over the world to explore the ancient roots of dying and pigmentation. Sh...more
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Read in January, 2007
This is a travel narrative and so much more. It traces the origins of the pigments which were originally used to make paint. The author goes to various countries searching out the stories of colors. It is a very informative and interesting book which makes you appreciate art, artists and the wonder that is the experience of travel. Victoria Finlay is an excellent writer and I would recommend this book to anyone - men or women.
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Read in February, 2009
The journey to learn about the spectrum of colors we use was fabulous, and provided new information I hadn't come across before. The in-depth research was fascinating and it's a memorable book. There are some lag periods where the author was going around in circles describing her circuitous search for some aspect of one color that are a bit boring, but a good read overall.
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At this point, someone must have coined a name for this particular genre of book: the quasi-journalistic, anecdotal investigation of the hopefully fascinating roots of one particular subject. This is a decent outing in that genre, with some cool factoids about the history of paints and dyes. Definitely good fodder for fascinating small talk at a party.
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Read in June, 2009
This book is all about color and how people found it, used it, and processed it. In a chatty style, the author tells of her travels to find color sources, with a little geography and local information thrown in; and fills us in on the history surrounding the color and its uses. Each chapter is devoted to a color. It was interesting on many levels.
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I wished there were more, better or even more accurate footnotes. I am not a huge fan of endnotes especially with pretty technical info. Sometimes she didn't note her source and often times I would have also liked to have a "suggested reading" or "for further research" list. Sometimes dense, but interesting stuff nonetheless.
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Read in January, 2007
Victoria Finlay's comprehensive and authoritative study of the origins and history of pigments is part travel writing, part art history, part cultural studies and explains among other things why Mary has a blue dress in our iconography.
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06/24/09
Anya Behn
added it
Read in May, 2009
Ooooh, this book is *awesome*. Skims over many many interesting topics, so I am going to use it as a reference. Very easy to read, as opposed to the "A History of Colors" book which is very dense with informaiton. I really enjoyed it.
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Ugh. Okay, I like this book a lot but it's more of a history book than an eloquently written novel and the writing is just kind of dry. The subject matter is interesting and I do want to know things like the first time the color ochre was ever used (according to archaeologists) was in like 20,000 b.c.e in an cave drawing in France or that it has caused an actual war in Australia. This isn't the kind of book that you dive into and get lost in but it's full of everything you have ever wanted to k...more
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Read in January, 2006
A fascinating book! I loved reading about where ochre comes from and
especially how the Australian bush artists use it. This is a valuable
learning resouce on the history and geography of natural pigments.
especially how the Australian bush artists use it. This is a valuable
learning resouce on the history and geography of natural pigments.
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01/19/09
katiebrown
is currently reading it
So far, so good. A few chapters of this book were part of the curriculum for one of my art history classes in college... I figured it couldn't hurt to pick it up and give the whole thing a try.
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