Color

“If you want to understand society, look at the way it talks about hue, suggests a new tome from art historian Alexandra Loske.” —Fast Company


“In keeping with the study of color in general, Color: A Visual History from Newton to Modern Color Matching Guides intertwines the history of scientific discoveries and artistic explorations. Organized chronologically, the book comprises five major sections, starting with the 18th century and the “color revolution” and concluding with the 21st century. Each section offers brief essays on important northern-European color inventions, experimentations, and discoveries. Excellent color images appear throughout the book, with a strong emphasis on historical color manuals, and the result is, in effect, a review of color theory. Of particular interest are reproductions of pages from the original color texts showing charts, color systems information, and swatches. Artists’ color palettes—actual palettes and self-portraits of artists holding palettes—are also pictured and explored as both primary sources and symbolic representations. In addition to canonical figures and materials, the book looks at contributions of women and less-familiar examples. Loske finishes with a few key contemporary art pieces that directly continue the legacy of using color theory as a point of artistic reference. A good introduction to color theory, the book will interest students in a range of subjects in which color is relevant and studied.” —Choice