The World According to Color: A Cultural History
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- Create Date：2022-05-19 09:51:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Fox
- ISBN：1250278511
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Summary
A kaleidoscopic exploration that traverses history， literature， art， and science to reveal humans' unique and vibrant relationship with color。
We have an extraordinary connection to color—we give it meanings， associations， and properties that last millennia and span cultures， continents， and languages。 In The World According to Color， James Fox takes seven primary colors—black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple， and green—and uncovers behind each a root idea， based on visual resemblances and common symbolism throughout history。
Through a series of stories and vignettes， the book then traces these meanings to show how they morphed and multiplied and， ultimately， how they reveal a great deal about the societies that produced them: reflecting and shaping their hopes， fears， prejudices， and preoccupations。
Fox also examines the science of how our eyes and brains interpret light and color， and shows how this is inherently linked with the meanings we give to hue。 And using his background as an art historian， he explores many of the milestones in the history of art—from Bronze Age gold-work to Turner， Titian to Yves Klein—in a fresh way。 Fox also weaves in literature， philosophy， cinema， archaeology， and art—moving from Monet to Marco Polo， early Japanese ink artists to Shakespeare and Goethe to James Bond。
By creating a new history of color， Fox reveals a new story about humans and our place in the universe: second only to language， color is the greatest carrier of cultural meaning in our world。
We have an extraordinary connection to color—we give it meanings， associations， and properties that last millennia and span cultures， continents， and languages。 In The World According to Color， James Fox takes seven primary colors—black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple， and green—and uncovers behind each a root idea， based on visual resemblances and common symbolism throughout history。
Through a series of stories and vignettes， the book then traces these meanings to show how they morphed and multiplied and， ultimately， how they reveal a great deal about the societies that produced them: reflecting and shaping their hopes， fears， prejudices， and preoccupations。
Fox also examines the science of how our eyes and brains interpret light and color， and shows how this is inherently linked with the meanings we give to hue。 And using his background as an art historian， he explores many of the milestones in the history of art—from Bronze Age gold-work to Turner， Titian to Yves Klein—in a fresh way。 Fox also weaves in literature， philosophy， cinema， archaeology， and art—moving from Monet to Marco Polo， early Japanese ink artists to Shakespeare and Goethe to James Bond。
By creating a new history of color， Fox reveals a new story about humans and our place in the universe: second only to language， color is the greatest carrier of cultural meaning in our world。
Reviews
Reggie
，
An expansive look at the history and culture of color， with some illustrated plates as a bonus！ Some chapters were more interesting than others but overall I found this to be a fascinating read on the topic。 I’ll never look at color the same after this！
Sue Em
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Fascinating cross genre exploration of color， the societal meaning of colors， the role of color in history， and， of course， in art。 The chapter on purple alone， is amazing in its details on the role of purple in Roman times to the creation of inexpensive purple dyes leading to the mauve age of Victorian society。 If you've ever pondered fuchsia v magenta as color names， don't miss this chapter。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest r Fascinating cross genre exploration of color， the societal meaning of colors， the role of color in history， and， of course， in art。 The chapter on purple alone， is amazing in its details on the role of purple in Roman times to the creation of inexpensive purple dyes leading to the mauve age of Victorian society。 If you've ever pondered fuchsia v magenta as color names， don't miss this chapter。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kaikaku_
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I received an ARC of the book from the publisher， via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。This is a scholarly work that is simple to understand yet profound in its impact。 In terms of concept， Fox’s use of colour – a ubiquitous subject he refers to as “inescapable” – to talk about art while relating it to world history is remarkable。 Moreover， Fox is also an excellent writer。 In the preface， he entices readers by positing colour as something that ‘resists most attempts to describe I received an ARC of the book from the publisher， via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。This is a scholarly work that is simple to understand yet profound in its impact。 In terms of concept， Fox’s use of colour – a ubiquitous subject he refers to as “inescapable” – to talk about art while relating it to world history is remarkable。 Moreover， Fox is also an excellent writer。 In the preface， he entices readers by positing colour as something that ‘resists most attempts to describe’ while proclaiming his daring attempt to take on this difficult task。 His use of an Orhan Pamuk quote in the introduction’s epigraph is also a welcome treat for literary buffs who may be less interested in non-fiction。 Most important though， is the vantage point Fox takes。 Further to the Pamuk quote， his use of a Persian fable to set the stage for his work makes clear his focus on inclusivity， a notion that the book lives up to。 True enough， through colour Fox canvases a wide array of topics， from the darkness of fear， to the myth of whiteness underscoring racist attitudes and a green， ecological future too。 By constantly juxtaposing attitudes and perspectives towards colour， Fox creates a sense of belonging for all。 In demonstrating the interconnectedness of our world， he has made this book a must-read。 。。。more
Gail
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I had no idea what to expect when reading The World According to Color。 The title did not give me enough information， and I was surprised as it is so packed with a ton of insights and far from a light read。 Fox is a natural storyteller and weaves each chapter with obscure information making the book truly wonderful。 Even though I just finished this book I think I need to read it again。 There is so much rich information， not only about the origins of color but how they have been created and used。 I had no idea what to expect when reading The World According to Color。 The title did not give me enough information， and I was surprised as it is so packed with a ton of insights and far from a light read。 Fox is a natural storyteller and weaves each chapter with obscure information making the book truly wonderful。 Even though I just finished this book I think I need to read it again。 There is so much rich information， not only about the origins of color but how they have been created and used。 Their individual meanings have changed over time and how this has played a role in history。 This is an important book with so much to learn that each page packs a big punch。 It is one I want to keep， and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves learning。 It helps so much with putting other historical information into a new perspective。 。。。more
Deb
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The World According to Color by James FoxAuthor James Fox is thoroughly obsessed with color， as you will see in this very detail-rich book on the subject。 Fox’s facts on color date back to the beginning of time and cover the scientific， cultural， political， poetical and artistic relationships with same。 Black， white， red， purple and green are discussed in depth as to their evolution， importance and uses in each of the aforementioned categories。 This book reads like a very highbrow doctoral disse The World According to Color by James FoxAuthor James Fox is thoroughly obsessed with color， as you will see in this very detail-rich book on the subject。 Fox’s facts on color date back to the beginning of time and cover the scientific， cultural， political， poetical and artistic relationships with same。 Black， white， red， purple and green are discussed in depth as to their evolution， importance and uses in each of the aforementioned categories。 This book reads like a very highbrow doctoral dissertation， which is not to say it’s not interesting。 As an artist， I learned many new things about color， but am glad I had a background in the names of the many hues mentioned。 If you share this author’s love of color and detail in facts， this book is for you！ My thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for my ARC。 。。。more
Rosie
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Absolutely excellent and beautiful written！ Enlightening and fascinating in equal measure。 Highly recommend， could potentially be my non fiction book of 2022。
Tyler
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Disclaimer: I received an advance copy through goodreads giveaways。 As such， the plates （pictures referenced throughout the book） were not included so I had to reference them online。 The author does a lovely job painting （ha） the story of color throughout history。 It took me longer than usual to read， but simply because it was so incredibly full of historical detail and fascinating facts I found myself often distractedly looking up tangents。 Most fascinating were the ways the author contradicted Disclaimer: I received an advance copy through goodreads giveaways。 As such， the plates （pictures referenced throughout the book） were not included so I had to reference them online。 The author does a lovely job painting （ha） the story of color throughout history。 It took me longer than usual to read， but simply because it was so incredibly full of historical detail and fascinating facts I found myself often distractedly looking up tangents。 Most fascinating were the ways the author contradicted my own American/Western European notions of color associations。 Importantly， the white chapter addresses the suffering the reverence for whiteness has brought。 （view spoiler）[ For instance， blacks that mean life and reds that mean joy and calmnessEqually fascinating， however， were the historical origins of the physical dyes themselves to humans。 Black through ash and carbon， red through iron， blood， and carmine， yellow through saffron， cardamom， blue through well…blue is tough to get！ （hide spoiler）] Emphasized towards the end， we take colors and dyes for granted。 But for millennia， all but the most common colors were entirely unattainable to humans。 The world according to color helped open my eyes to the everyday and formerly mundane。 。。。more
Sophie
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As a synesthete colour is a predominant part of my life， so it's safe to say I enjoyed this passionate and detailed work from my favourite art historian。 Absolutely worth a read。 As a synesthete colour is a predominant part of my life， so it's safe to say I enjoyed this passionate and detailed work from my favourite art historian。 Absolutely worth a read。 。。。more
Melissa
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I expected this book to be a pop science book about the colors and their histories; instead it uses color as a lense through which to view history。 It organizes its chapters based on Aristotle's seven primary colors which is slightly different than our ROYGBIV。 The first chapter is about Black， symbolizing the big bang and a time before we could "dispel darkness with a fingertip。" Fox explains how different cultures understood black as a concept- is it nothing， or something？ Negative or positive I expected this book to be a pop science book about the colors and their histories; instead it uses color as a lense through which to view history。 It organizes its chapters based on Aristotle's seven primary colors which is slightly different than our ROYGBIV。 The first chapter is about Black， symbolizing the big bang and a time before we could "dispel darkness with a fingertip。" Fox explains how different cultures understood black as a concept- is it nothing， or something？ Negative or positive？ Similar philosophical views are shared for each color。 There are fun facts scattered in among these concepts。 If you've ever wondered why so many statues are made of marble （from the chapter "white"）， why this pigment was so difficult to produce （"blue"）， or what blood is made of （"red"）， then you'll enjoy this book。 The book ends on "green，" symbolizing environmentalism and the planets future。 This book has a lot of information in it， and I'll be honest， I used it a few times to help me fall asleep。 So minus one star for being a slow read， but good to devour in small chucks with lots of contemplating in between。 。。。more
Manda Nicole
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An excellent， wide ranging cultural history of color。 Fox focuses on seven colors: 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 color and cleanliness that led to racism。 This is also about psychology， sociology， history， philosophy， chemistry， alchemy， politics， art … y An excellent， wide ranging cultural history of color。 Fox focuses on seven colors: 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 color and cleanliness that led to racism。 This is also about psychology， sociology， history， philosophy， chemistry， alchemy， politics， art … you name it， James Fox has got it covered I adore books that leave the reader filled with obscure facts that I can then pass on to everyone I know。。 Though filled with fascinating facts this is far from boring or stuffy and does NOT come off as a lecture to trudge through as other nonfiction sometimes can read。 I highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone！ Its impossible to read this book and not come away with something wonderful。 。。。more
Carin
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I was super excited to read this book as I love any book that will teach me random facts about obscure things。 By a stroke of weird timing， I happened to be reading it while in France， during the week I was in Paris and went to the Louvre， and also to Giverny to see Monet’s gardens。 That was ideal， of course。 I couldn’t help but look at the colors in the painting more closely， and wonder about the saturation and what types of pigments were used。 I also had to tell my family that there are more y I was super excited to read this book as I love any book that will teach me random facts about obscure things。 By a stroke of weird timing， I happened to be reading it while in France， during the week I was in Paris and went to the Louvre， and also to Giverny to see Monet’s gardens。 That was ideal， of course。 I couldn’t help but look at the colors in the painting more closely， and wonder about the saturation and what types of pigments were used。 I also had to tell my family that there are more yellow flowers than any other color of flowers。This book isn’t just for artists though。 It’s about color going back to the beginning of our understanding about color。 In that way， it’s also about humanity and sociology。 It’s about all of history–why royalty wore purple and why mauve become so popular in the late Victorian period。 The story I found most fascinating was one of the Australian Aboriginals （although this has also been the case with other indigenous peoples， it’s best documented with the Australians）， who did not understand the concept of blue。 When Europeans first came to the continent and tried communicating， that was a stumbling block。 It’s not that they just didn’t have a word for it–they didn’t understand it as a color。 Blue appears really infrequently in the natural environment–very few flowers， fish that look blue aren’t blue up close–so their only interaction with it was through the sea （which also often a whole bunch of other colors and to my mind is usually more green， especially close to land） and the sky， where it was more of less a non-color， because of its ubiquity。 It’s so fascinating to think of not understanding blue。Interesting bits about the development of artists’ pigments， some of which were astonishingly expensive and others which were dangerous， which lead into stories of patent law。 Other parts were more conceptual。 I do wish the book had covered orange （or at the very least， had told us why it didn’t。） My mother and I had a long discussion of whether or not white and black are colors after this one （she came down heavily on the side of “yes！” to both。 Whereas I’m not so sure。） It’s fascinating！ You should read it！ 。。。more
Regina Mastrogiacomo
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If you like color you will love this book， it will take you on a journey from how color is seen by us to how people feel about color through out the ages。 The colors the book highlights are Black， Red， Yellow， White， Purple and Green and from the color Black to the color Green humans have worship and fear each color and how we use color to both create barriers between each other and bring us together and the journey was fascinating。 I truly found that the book enhance my understanding of color a If you like color you will love this book， it will take you on a journey from how color is seen by us to how people feel about color through out the ages。 The colors the book highlights are Black， Red， Yellow， White， Purple and Green and from the color Black to the color Green humans have worship and fear each color and how we use color to both create barriers between each other and bring us together and the journey was fascinating。 I truly found that the book enhance my understanding of color and made me appreciate it more。 I want to thank St。 Martin Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this colorful book。 。。。more
Tracie
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Author James Fox takes readers through a history of color throughout the world in painting， sculpture， fabric， and spirituality among other things。 He focuses on seven colors and explains how color happens and other scientific facts and theories in terms a layperson can understand。 He also discusses the psychological significance of hues and shades in politics， astronomy， and economics through the ages and how a single color can mean different things by regions of the world and time periods。 Thi Author James Fox takes readers through a history of color throughout the world in painting， sculpture， fabric， and spirituality among other things。 He focuses on seven colors and explains how color happens and other scientific facts and theories in terms a layperson can understand。 He also discusses the psychological significance of hues and shades in politics， astronomy， and economics through the ages and how a single color can mean different things by regions of the world and time periods。 This was a fun and informative book that I may have to refer to when I have to repaint my house or replace my summer t-shirts。 There are detailed notes and a further readings list。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange of for an honest review。 。。。more
=^。^= Janet
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Release date: April 12， 2022Although I am sure it would appeal to others， this book did not float my boat at all。。。I almost gave up in the introduction but managed to get mostly through BLACK before giving up。It wasn't my kind of book （I was expecting more along the line of colour psychology of Faber Birren and why he thinks I am crazy as I loathe and abhor the colour blue！） but I am sure that it will appeal to deep thinkers and philosophy-type-Margaret-Atwood-loving readers。I will recommend it Release date: April 12， 2022Although I am sure it would appeal to others， this book did not float my boat at all。。。I almost gave up in the introduction but managed to get mostly through BLACK before giving up。It wasn't my kind of book （I was expecting more along the line of colour psychology of Faber Birren and why he thinks I am crazy as I loathe and abhor the colour blue！） but I am sure that it will appeal to deep thinkers and philosophy-type-Margaret-Atwood-loving readers。I will recommend it to a few people I know。 but it is not a book that I would buy unless we get a specific request。 。。。more
Farida
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Imagine my delight on reading the opening chapter to World According to Colour， to discover the Haft Paykar， a famous medieval romantic poem -considered one of the great classics of Persian literature;‘One day， a young Persian prince was wandering through his palace when something stopped him in his tracks。 His eyes soon settled on a series of paintings， depicting seven beautiful princesses from seven different realms。’Bahram Gur in the Room of the Seven Portraits （Collection Calouste Gulbenkian Imagine my delight on reading the opening chapter to World According to Colour， to discover the Haft Paykar， a famous medieval romantic poem -considered one of the great classics of Persian literature;‘One day， a young Persian prince was wandering through his palace when something stopped him in his tracks。 His eyes soon settled on a series of paintings， depicting seven beautiful princesses from seven different realms。’Bahram Gur in the Room of the Seven Portraits （Collection Calouste Gulbenkian Museum， Lisbon）Haft Paykar: Bahram Gur in the Room of the Seven Portraits （Collection Calouste Gulbenkian Museum， Lisbon）In the Haft Paykar （Seven Portraits）， the young prince Bahram Gur， seeks out the seven princesses from the seven climes ruled by seven planets （classical planetary system of Zoroastrian-Islamic world）; India， Byzantium， Russia， Slavonia， North Africa， China and Persia。 Upon marrying all seven and bringing them back to Persia， his architect advises him， that to assure good fortune， each princess should be housed in a pavilion with a coloured dome associated with each clime， planet and weekday。World According to Colour。 A Cultural History by James FoxAs in the poem， James Fox in his new book， World According to Colour， invites the reader on a journey through humanity’s relationship with colour。 The colours become protagonists， like complex characters in a seven-part play。 The author’s aim is that the reader understand the meanings associated with colour over time。Unlike the colours that feature in the Haft Paykar， his book goes back into time to ancient Greece and follows the modern equivalents of Aristotle’s seven primaries: black， red， yellow， blue， white， purple and green in seven chapters devoted to these colours。James Fox is an art historian and therefore may have developed a predilection for color through his exposure to visual art – call it an occupational hazard。 Nevertheless， the reader gains valuable insight into his 10 year research and passion for colour。Different Shades of BlackIn the chapter on black， we learn that ‘black’ was the most frequently used term in Shakespeare’s writings and that he seemed to harbor a certain fondness of adjectives like ‘black as ink’。 ‘coal-black， ‘raven black’。 Perhaps we can assume that black was the Bard’s favourite colour。Shifting East， he sheds light on East Asian perspectives to the colour black， as he discusses the revered Japanese novelist Tanizaki’s 1933 essay， In Praise of Shadows， in which he argued that darkness was integral to eastern aesthetics as opposed to the Western obsession with bright light and shiny surfaces。 Dr Fox further illuminates the reader on the significance of black in Chinese and Japanese ink painting;‘At first the Chinese used this rich black fluid for writing， calligraphy and painting， but by the T’ang dynasty they were also using it to paint。 Chinese painters began by pairing it with other colours but many later renounced everything except black。 Not that they considered it to be a single colour; they recognised at least five different blacks。’We learn about Sesshū Tōyō （雪舟 等楊）， a 15th century Japanese master of ink and wash painting， who drew influences from the Chinese landscape painting and adapted these to his own practice。 In his painting， ‘splashed ink landscape’，（溌墨） hatsuboku， the artist avoids bold outlines and expresses himself with ink washes in lighter and darker tones。Red， Yellow， Blue， White and the Colour PurpleWe learn about the dominance of red in China from time immemorial to the red flag of the Chinese Communist Party and discover that Turner was particularly partial to chrome yellow， a pigment developed in his lifetime after its main ingredient was discovered in a Siberian gold mine。 It went on to become the most successful pigment and was used in Gaughin’s Yellow Christ and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers。In the chapter on blue we learn of Yves Klein’s obsession with the sky and of his creation of International Yves Klein Blue， whilst in the chapter on white， the author bravely tackles the subject of ‘race’。 We are presented with an image of a Pear’s Soap advert from the late 1890s that reads;‘The first step towards lightening the White Man’s Burden is through teaching the virtues of cleanliness。 Pear’s Soap is a potent factor in brightening the dark corners of the earth as civilization advances， while among the cultured of all nations it holds the highest place- it is the ideal toilet soap。’To which he writes:‘We might dismiss Pear’s cheerful racism and heavy-handed marketing as the product of an earlier， more prejudiced age， But prejudices don’t disappear quickly， and nor do cultural tropes。’I praise the author for tackling the subject of ‘race’ in the chapter on the colour white。 Such discussions should be part of the narrative on modern retelling of visual art。In Purple， we learn about the modern discovery of the pigment Prussian blue and prior to that Tyrian Purple， a pigment made from the gland of a small shellfish – so valuable in ancient and medieval times it was exclusively for the rich and powerful。As Diverse are Their Hues‘The Qur’an as revealed to the Prophet Muhammed in the seventh century， is so filled with colour that it makes the Bible seem monochrome by comparison’The last chapter ends in green – a color that is associated with contemporary environmental concerns。 The Green party， ‘renewable green energy’ these are buzzwords of our times that reflect humanity’s urgency to save the planet and have become a mindset。We learn a great deal about the science of colour， throughout the book， in particular in the final chaper， there are a great deal of facts about chlorophyll – taking cue from Howard Hodgkin’s painting， Leaf （2007–9）。 This painting consists of a single brushstroke of emerald， green that took seconds to execute yet two years of mental preparation。 ‘Colour is colour，’ Hodgkin once said。 ‘You can’t control it’。For the rest of the last chapter， we discover that the colour green has great significance in the Islamic world as the colour green is closely identified with the Prophet。 He writes;‘From the Hadith， which compiled records of Muhammed’s words and deeds roughly a century after his death， we know he regularly wore green garments and was fond of verdant vegetation。 The souls of martyrs are described as green birds suspended from the trees of paradise， and the devout likened to vegetation。’I enjoyed and valued the author’s rich commentary on visual art from all around the world。 I found his writing style bold and refreshing， considering art historians often write for a high-brow audience。 He writes， in a fast-paced entertaining way， galloping from one idea to another， yet connecting colour through trajectories in art， anthropology， psychology and science。World According to Colour will appeal to art historians， artists， colourists and especially those who are curious about visual art and design， who visit museums and galleries and wish to deepen their knowledge。 Five Stars。 。。。more
Marion Fanthorpe
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A delightful and entrancing book。 The scope and range is astonishing drawing together science， art， literature and history in telling the stories of the cultural meanings we attach to colour。 It is written in a vivid and empathetic way， full of academic rigour， yet never stuffy or boring。 Reading it has truly enlivened the dark and dismal days of early January。
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 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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