Uncovering the Fascinating History of Color with Kassia St Clair's "The Secret Lives of Color"

Mrs.: this is a gift so i quickly read some of it - fun read and useful information

Canada on Sep 06, 2023

Michelle G: This book gives the origin of colors and how they can be seen as an inspiration for art. It’s part history-book, part artist-book, and part teaching-book on the origin of colors. Beautifully done. Great for all ages.

United States on Jul 26, 2023

RTyson: Color names help to discern and communicate colors.

United States on Jul 12, 2023

Matthew J. Mosca: I work in the field of paint analysis for historic restorations and this compendium is fascinating. I think that most people would find it so, in that it is concise and well written. Very enjoyable and informative. Thank you.

United States on May 30, 2023

elisha naylor: this is a very interesting, easy to digest, and informative book. color history is so fascinating! this book is perfect for bursts of quick reading- like traveling, or a coffee break, maybe a bathroom book, or to read cover to cover.
I love it!

United States on May 20, 2023

Jimmi Taiju: Good book for historians, but of no practical use in painting.

India on May 11, 2023

AnupamaAnupama: Had been dithering for years. I am so glad I bought it.

India on May 08, 2023

A fantastic book that opens our eyes to history, science and culture through colours.: This book beautifully and surprisingly illustrates our colourful history, science and culture. It's little bite sized reads on our favourite shades of colours. Really enjoyed reading it!

Australia on Apr 29, 2023

john krause: a nice volume to have alongside David Coles’s concise and beautiful book Chromatopia : An Illustrated History of Color .

United States on Apr 19, 2023

Ninaminacat: I was drawn to this book in a bookshop by its striking cover. I loved the samples of the various colours throughout the book and the general presentation of the volume but wondered if I could really justify the expense - or the space on already full bookshelves. Can you imagine my delight when I discovered that the title was available on Kindle Unlimited?

I chose to read the book in page order to avoid missing out any of the shades and was soon fascinated. I loved not knowing what aspect of a shade would be covered in its short chapter; would it be how the natural ingredient was processed, a new dye invented or some other historical facts about that particular nuance of the colour in question? The variety was part of the excitement. I was regularly clicking on the links to see a sample of a shade when it was mentioned the general introduction to that colour, checking footnotes and scouring the biography for further reading.

The Kindle edition has the advantage of your being able to find the shade you want instantaneously, but the physical book itself is so appealing with its full pages of colour that, in spite of having read it for free, I shall almost certainly buy...

United Kingdom on Feb 22, 2023