The World According to Colour: A Cultural History
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- Create Date：2021-11-17 06:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Fox
- ISBN：1846148243
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Summary
A beguiling cultural history of colour， by one of the rising stars of art history The subject of this book is mankind's extraordinary relationship with colour。 It is composed of a series of voyages， ranging across the world and throughout history， which reveal the meanings that have been attached to the colours we see around us and the ways these have shaped our culture and imagination。 It takes seven primary colours - black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple and green - and uncovers behind each a root idea， based on visual resemblances or properties so rudimentary as to be common to all societies。 The book traces these meanings to show how they changed and multiplied， the role that they have played in our culture and history， and how understanding them allows us to see many of the milestones in the history of art - from Bronze Age gold-work to Turner， Titian to Yves Klein - in a new way。 It proceeds by stories， which cumulatively tell another， larger one- a history of the world from the black nothing which preceded existence to the birth of our red-blooded species; the gilded gods who animated the world in antiquity to the blue horizons which framed the Age of Discovery; the pristine aspirations of Enlightenment， the technicolour innovation which fuelled the Industrial Revolution and the colour which most embodies the environmental crisis which now faces us。
Reviews
Alwynne
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A meticulously-researched exploration of the kinds of cultural associations that have grown up around particular colours。 Art historian James Fox takes seven colours and constructs a series of curious， revealing histories: the “mauve mania” that swept Victorian England influencing art and literature; the dye wars between manufacturers desperate to cash in on their discoveries; how the vivid yellows of a Turner painting attracted a health warning; how white became linked to ideas about purity and A meticulously-researched exploration of the kinds of cultural associations that have grown up around particular colours。 Art historian James Fox takes seven colours and constructs a series of curious， revealing histories: the “mauve mania” that swept Victorian England influencing art and literature; the dye wars between manufacturers desperate to cash in on their discoveries; how the vivid yellows of a Turner painting attracted a health warning; how white became linked to ideas about purity and fuelled dangerous prejudices around notions of race and identity。 Although I thought Fox’s conclusions about what the myriad meanings attached to colours say about humanity were a little too sweeping， his approach often reminded me of Neil MacGregor’s absorbing A History of the World in 100 Objects， Fox’s writing’s similarly accessible and lucid。 He’s adept at unearthing and presenting an array of fascinating information。 There are weaker sections that stray into exhaustive， laundry-list territory， transparency’s often achieved at the expense of nuance， and the sheer wealth of detail can be overwhelming but I think there’s more than enough compelling， stimulating material here to compensate for any shortcomings。 Thanks to Netgalley UK and publisher Allen Lane， imprint of Penguin Books for an arc 。。。more
Meg
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James Fox really kick started my love of art when I stumbled upon A History of Art in Three Colours on the BBC。 Many of the themes of that documentary are visited in this book along with many other fascinating insights。 This is a must read for anyone who's interested in art， history and humanity。 Genuinely loved this， found it very engaging and a real joy to read。 10/10。 James Fox really kick started my love of art when I stumbled upon A History of Art in Three Colours on the BBC。 Many of the themes of that documentary are visited in this book along with many other fascinating insights。 This is a must read for anyone who's interested in art， history and humanity。 Genuinely loved this， found it very engaging and a real joy to read。 10/10。 。。。more
Anne
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This is a fascinating book about colour。 So far so standard。 But this is also about psychology， sociology， history， philosophy， chemistry， alchemy， politics， art … you name it， James Fox has got it covered。 The facts leap off the page not in a lecturing， boring way but in an engaging， entertaining way and entertained we definitely are。 This is the sort of book you highlight or copy passages out of for future reference。 Starting from black and covering seven colours， the author takes us through h This is a fascinating book about colour。 So far so standard。 But this is also about psychology， sociology， history， philosophy， chemistry， alchemy， politics， art … you name it， James Fox has got it covered。 The facts leap off the page not in a lecturing， boring way but in an engaging， entertaining way and entertained we definitely are。 This is the sort of book you highlight or copy passages out of for future reference。 Starting from black and covering seven colours， the author takes us through how colours got their stories and why white is “good” and black is “bad” and the repercussions of that even today。 The absence of colour is a colour in itself。 We meet fascinating characters - the man who made a fortune because he stumbled upon purple while experimenting with coal tar！ And another purple method that smelled of “rotting flesh， asafoetida， and garlic breath” where 10，000 mollusks were needed to make a gram of dye。 How a book about colour can pack so much in is amazing and I’m getting a full colour hardback version for my Christmas as the ebook - brilliant as it is - misses something。 This is recommended as a gift for the person in your life who is hard to buy for - young or old and every artist， designer， or fashionista。 A totally beguiling book。I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review 。。。more
Amy
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In 2014 I watched A Very British Renaissance on BBC Two。 James Fox’s talent as a researcher and storyteller was captivating and this documentary series inspired me to pursue academia。 After watching this series， I turned to Fox’s catalogue and watched a few of his previous documentaries。 To this day， Fox’s A History of Art in Three Colours is one of my favourite documentary series and the episode on the colour blue will always stay in my mind。I knew that the series was eventually going to be tur In 2014 I watched A Very British Renaissance on BBC Two。 James Fox’s talent as a researcher and storyteller was captivating and this documentary series inspired me to pursue academia。 After watching this series， I turned to Fox’s catalogue and watched a few of his previous documentaries。 To this day， Fox’s A History of Art in Three Colours is one of my favourite documentary series and the episode on the colour blue will always stay in my mind。I knew that the series was eventually going to be turned into a book and I have been eagerly anticipating its release for years。 The World According to Colour does not disappoint。 Exploring the seven primary colours， the book dives into each colour and picks it apart。 From the science of the colour itself， the historical significance， the political associations and more， Fox dissects each colour in immense detail to uncover its history。The text is incredibly ambitious and certainly successful in its endeavour。 Fox traces a long period of art history， from the Bronze Age to present day。 The World According to Colour explores many cultures and explores how the meaning of colour can change in different societies。The most valuable aspect of this book is its accessibility。 A reason I am a fan of Fox’s work is because he is able to make academic writing accessible。 This book tackles some complex concepts and covers a lot of topics yet they are digestible and I was able to remember and understand them after reading。 I hope this text will encourage others to explore the world of art。After reading this book， I see the world differently。 As the seasons change， I pay closer attention to the leaves slowly changing from green to orange to brown。 I notice the blueness of the sky。 I notice the different shades of green on my blouse。 This book captures the beauty in colour and has allowed me to reflect on my relationship with different colours。 I cannot recommend this book enough and I think it is a book everyone can gain something from。Thank you Netgalley for sending me a review copy。 。。。more
N。S。 Ford
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This review was first published on my blog - https://nsfordwriter。com - on 22nd August 2021。What are colours？ What do they mean to different cultures？ How is the symbolism， perception and manufacture of colours entwined with human history？ This is a fascinating book which takes us on a journey through seven colours: black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple and green。 Although not a comprehensive book on the subject， it’s wide-ranging， with a strong focus on art history but also with some psycholo This review was first published on my blog - https://nsfordwriter。com - on 22nd August 2021。What are colours？ What do they mean to different cultures？ How is the symbolism， perception and manufacture of colours entwined with human history？ This is a fascinating book which takes us on a journey through seven colours: black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple and green。 Although not a comprehensive book on the subject， it’s wide-ranging， with a strong focus on art history but also with some psychology， linguistics， literature， science， religion and social studies。 The narrative is supported by many quotes on colour。 Some of the information wasn’t new to me – particularly the chapter on purple – as I’ve read a few books about colour before， but I still learned a lot。 The author， art historian James Fox， presented a BBC TV series in 2012 called A History of Art in Three Colours （these were white， blue and gold） which I remember enjoying。 Colour is an endlessly fascinating topic。The coverage is to some extent the author’s personal choice and I think he assumes the reader knows a little art history already。 I liked the attention given to particular artists， such as Turner， Yves Klein， Kandinsky， Monet， Ana Mendieta and Le Corbusier。 At times the writing with more of a scientific focus was a little dry and I had to skim-read。 The art-focused sections were the most captivating for me。 I would say that the chapters on red and white are not for the faint-hearted， dealing respectively with blood and racism。The text refers to images， which I mostly haven’t seen as they weren’t included in my advance copy， but they sound well-chosen and will make the published book something special。Thank you to Penguin for the copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Violet
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Really enjoyable book。 I had read a few books about colours and their history by Michel Pastoureau， but this one by James Fox offers a more diverse overview - where Pastoureau focuses on France/Europe and on medieval times especially， it was refreshing to read more about the science behind colours and how they became more accessible， and their history across times and countries。 I really enjoyed reading about various countries' legends and use of colours。。 It was pleasantly written and easy to f Really enjoyable book。 I had read a few books about colours and their history by Michel Pastoureau， but this one by James Fox offers a more diverse overview - where Pastoureau focuses on France/Europe and on medieval times especially， it was refreshing to read more about the science behind colours and how they became more accessible， and their history across times and countries。 I really enjoyed reading about various countries' legends and use of colours。。 It was pleasantly written and easy to follow - really liked it。Free ARC sent by Netgalley。 。。。more
Mary
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An enlightening mix of archaeology， history， art， science， psychology and cultureJames takes the basic colours we see around us and looks at them from various angles to provide a fascinating mix of information that I thoroughly enjoyed。 Through the lenses of archaeology and history we learn about how colour has been used through time， the lengths our ancestors went to to produce some of them， the significance of colour in society and art， and the prejudices and superstitions that have resulted。 An enlightening mix of archaeology， history， art， science， psychology and cultureJames takes the basic colours we see around us and looks at them from various angles to provide a fascinating mix of information that I thoroughly enjoyed。 Through the lenses of archaeology and history we learn about how colour has been used through time， the lengths our ancestors went to to produce some of them， the significance of colour in society and art， and the prejudices and superstitions that have resulted。 Looking at the same colours from the perspectives of nature， science and psychology gives us further insights to how important colour can be to life。 From the green chlorophyll of plants to the red haemoglobin of our literal life blood， how nature uses colour to attract mates and pollinators， warn of danger and camouflage， the science of how we see colour and how we can use it to reflect and affect our moods and wellbeing。While James focuses on the colours we can see the book could be expanded to cover the wavelengths beyond our sight that other creatures can perceive - infra-red and ultraviolet。 Finally， while difficult to do， a closing summary bringing it all together would have rounded off the book nicely。 I really enjoyed this book。 The subject is so vast and rich and I finished it curious to learn more in so many ways。 I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to。 。。。more
Verity Halliday
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The World According to Colour is like a book version of a BBC4 documentary - absorbing， interesting and a bit high-brow。 The book is mostly from an Art History point of view so a Google image search on hand to see the paintings described was helpful， however there was also some biology， chemistry and physics to put the subject in scientific context。An enjoyable read for art historians and other people who share James Fox’s fascination with colour。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for The World According to Colour is like a book version of a BBC4 documentary - absorbing， interesting and a bit high-brow。 The book is mostly from an Art History point of view so a Google image search on hand to see the paintings described was helpful， however there was also some biology， chemistry and physics to put the subject in scientific context。An enjoyable read for art historians and other people who share James Fox’s fascination with colour。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
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James Fox writes beautifully。 In The World According to Colour， he’s engaging even when dealing with technicalities such as explaining the wavelengths of light and describing haemoglobin’s role in the blood。 He explains scientific terms and concepts clearly but not in an overly simple way， trusting the reader’s ability to keep up。While some of the stories and artists were familiar to me， I was introduced to many new ones; I want to explore the work of Howard Hodgkin and perhaps even the avant-ga James Fox writes beautifully。 In The World According to Colour， he’s engaging even when dealing with technicalities such as explaining the wavelengths of light and describing haemoglobin’s role in the blood。 He explains scientific terms and concepts clearly but not in an overly simple way， trusting the reader’s ability to keep up。While some of the stories and artists were familiar to me， I was introduced to many new ones; I want to explore the work of Howard Hodgkin and perhaps even the avant-garde Ana Mendieta。In less skilled hands this might have felt padded， but Fox weaves history and science into the story along with art and anthropology so that it is full of detail and interest。 His description of how the Japanese master Sesshū created an inkwash landscape made me long to see the work， and I’m aching to get to the British Museum to see the painstaking care that goes into Chinese lacquerware。I look forward to reading this book in hard copy with the plates but even in digital proof form the language shines， a love letter not just to colour but to the world itself。 。。。more
Chiara Liberio
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An amazing journey through colour！ Comprehensive， engaging and written with a clear language， well informed and suitable for the wider public。A really impressive excursus spanning centuries， continents， disciplines and societies exploring the significance， symbolism and use of individual colours （one per chapter） in different cultures， societies， religions， aesthetic theories， movements and individual artists and writers – from prehistory to the present days。 Colours are also viewed from a socio An amazing journey through colour！ Comprehensive， engaging and written with a clear language， well informed and suitable for the wider public。A really impressive excursus spanning centuries， continents， disciplines and societies exploring the significance， symbolism and use of individual colours （one per chapter） in different cultures， societies， religions， aesthetic theories， movements and individual artists and writers – from prehistory to the present days。 Colours are also viewed from a sociomaterial perspective （how pigments and colours were produced by whom and the implications）， which includes relevant historical and scientific discussions。 I appreciated the ability to single out what is worth discussing for each colour， phenomena and symbols that still speak to us and still permeate out world。 Highly recommended， this is the kind of read that enriches you as everything is made so relevant， and a lot more fun than it may seem！My thanks to the Publisher for an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Catalina
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Have you ever wondered how the meaning of colours came about？ How come we associate black with death or white with pureness？ And how about blue and red and purple and yellow？ James Fox tries to answer those exact questions。 And in doing so， he takes us on a fascinating journey around the world but also in time， touching on so many subjects from history to literature to science and art。 My favourite chapters were those full of colour: red， yellow， blue， purple， green。 Fascinating and full of fact Have you ever wondered how the meaning of colours came about？ How come we associate black with death or white with pureness？ And how about blue and red and purple and yellow？ James Fox tries to answer those exact questions。 And in doing so， he takes us on a fascinating journey around the world but also in time， touching on so many subjects from history to literature to science and art。 My favourite chapters were those full of colour: red， yellow， blue， purple， green。 Fascinating and full of facts， I learn so much and even ended up chatting about them with my family。 Black and white were less on my liking due mostly to the association with race and prejudice which I felt were slightly pushed （I cannot say I was convinced by the logic of certain association。 Also the fact that the author says Europe（or white） but in fact he refers to Britain or Western Europe - a generalisation that really grates on my nerves！！！）， I guess in a bid to tick the right boxes。 My only regret upon finishing this book was that it was so brief。 I wanted to read more， so much more。 I hope it is going to be expanded at some point in the future， I would not hesitate to pick it up again if that happens！ *Book from NetGalley with many thanks to the publisher！ 。。。more
mylogicisfuzzy
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An excellent， wide ranging cultural history of colour。 Fox focuses on seven colours: black， red， white， yellow， blue， purple and green， taking in science （optics， chemistry， biology）， perception， meaning and symbolism across cultures and time。 There are religious social and ideological considerations， such as history of white’s association with purity， skin colour and cleanliness that led to racism。 Negative meanings of black in Western Europe: death， evil， decay and so on are contrasted with di An excellent， wide ranging cultural history of colour。 Fox focuses on seven colours: black， red， white， yellow， blue， purple and green， taking in science （optics， chemistry， biology）， perception， meaning and symbolism across cultures and time。 There are religious social and ideological considerations， such as history of white’s association with purity， skin colour and cleanliness that led to racism。 Negative meanings of black in Western Europe: death， evil， decay and so on are contrasted with different meanings black had in Japanese art， which I found particularly interesting。 Fox also looks at linguistics and literature with examples from Shakespeare， Romantic poets and Orhan Pamuk among others and I made a note to reread My Name is Red， it’s been too long。Fans of BBC4 art documentaries will likely remember Fox’s excellent series on three colours （blue， white and gold）。 He is an art historian first and foremost and the book really comes alive when he discusses how artists past and present use colour， from Turner and Monet to Ana Mendieta and David Nash。 I read an advance copy without colour images on kindle and am planning on buying the hardback for reference and for the glorious art。 Overall， an impressive book， highly recommended。 My thanks to Penguin， Allen Lane and Netgalley for the opportunity to read The World of Colour。 。。。more
Beth Storey
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