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The Art of Colour
The History of Art in 39 Pigments
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Finalist for the Marfield Prize, the National Award for Arts Writing: a unique approach to the history of art told through the story of colour and pigments.
As Featured on BBC Worldwide
Did you know that the ultramarine that shimmers at the centre of Vermeer's Milkmaid connects that masterpiece with 6th-century Zoroastrian paintings found on the walls of cave temples in Bamiyan, Afghanistan? Or that the surging waves that crest and curl in Hokusai's perilous Great Wave off Kanagawa owe their absorbing blue lustre to an alchemist who was born in Frankenstein's Castle in 1673? And were the Pre-Raphaelites really obsessed with a murky brown hue derived from the pulverized remains of ancient mummies? (Spoiler: they were.)
Invented by prehistoric cave-dwellers and medieval conjurers, cunning conmen and savvy scientists, the colours of art tell a riveting tale all their own. Over ten scintillating chapters, acclaimed author Kelly Grovier helps bring that tale vividly to life, revealing the astonishing backstories of the pigments that define the greatest works in the history of art. Interwoven between these chapters is a series of features focusing on key moments in the evolution of colour theory—from the revelations of the Enlightenment to the radicalism of the Bauhaus—while reproductions of carefully selected artworks help illuminate the narrative's twists and turns.
The history of colour is an epic saga of human ingenuity and insatiable desire. Read The Art of Colour and you will never look at a work of art in quite the same way.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Art of Colour by Kelly Grovier is praised for its vivid and insightful exploration of colour's role in art. With beautifully illustrated chapters, the book is appreciated for its ability to transform the reader's perception of paintings, offering a fresh and enlightened perspective on visual art.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780500024812
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 27 April 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd
Illustration: 141 Illustrations, color
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 170.0mm
Height: 246.0mm
Weight: 860g
Pages: 256
Collections
About the Author
Kelly Grovier is a columnist and feature writer for BBC Culture and his writings on art have appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, the Independent, The Sunday Times, the Observer, RA Magazine and Wired. He is the author of several books including A New Way of Seeing: The History of Art in 57 Works (2018) and On the Line: Conversations with Sean Scully (2021), both published by Thames & Hudson. He is co-founder of the scholarly journal European Romantic Review.
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