Price: $23.00 - $13.39
(as of May 02, 2025 19:36:12 UTC – Details)
One of USA Today’s “100 Books to Read While Stuck at Home During the Coronavirus Crisis”
A dazzling gift, the unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful multi-colored volume.
“Beautifully written . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers.” —NPR, Best Books of 2017
The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso’s blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.
In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether Van Gogh’s chrome yellow sunflowers or punk’s fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilization. Across fashion and politics, art and war, the secret lives of color tell the vivid story of our culture.
“This passionate and majestic compedium will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light.” —Elle
From the Publisher
Publisher : Penguin Books; Later prt. edition (October 24, 2017)
Language : English
Hardcover : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 0143131141
ISBN-13 : 978-0143131144
Reading age : 1 year and up
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 1.1 x 5.5 x 8.6 inches
Customers say
Customers find this book fascinating and engaging, with well-researched content that provides historical context about colors and their uses. The writing style is easy to read with humorous touches, and the design is visually beautiful, with one customer noting its applicability to fashion and art. Customers appreciate its value for artists and as a gift, particularly for budding artists.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
