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Yellow

The History of a Color
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( 200 ratings, 24 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Yellow by Michel Pastoureau explores the rich history and cultural significance of the colour yellow. It delves into how perceptions of the colour have evolved over time, from its ancient associations with gold and divinity to contemporary views. This book offers an insightful journey through the arts, history, and society, examining how yellow has been both celebrated and misunderstood.
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Format: Hardback
$7999
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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?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by the history and symbolism of colours throughout different cultures. It delves into the cultural significance, emotions, and meanings associated with a specific colour, offering a rich tapestry of art, history, and social commentary. Ideal for readers interested in exploring the profound impact of colour in our lives and societies.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A renowned authority on the history of color and the author of celebrated volumes on blue, black, green, and red now traces the visual, social, and cultural history of yellow. Focusing on European societies, with comparisons from East Asia, India, Africa, and South America, he tells the intriguing story of the color's evolving place in art, religion, fashion, literature, and science.

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

A renowned authority on the history of colour and the author of celebrated volumes on blue, black, green, and red now traces the visual, social, and cultural history of yellow. Focusing on European societies, with comparisons from East Asia, India, Africa, and South America, he tells the intriguing story of the colour's evolving place in art, religion, fashion, literature, and science.

In Yellow, the author delves into how this vibrant hue has impacted various aspects of society. Through a rich tapestry of historical narrative, the book explores the multifaceted role that yellow has played across different continents and periods.

Series: The History of a Color

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  • White
    As a pigment, white is often thought to represent an absence of colour, but it is without doubt an important colour in its own right, just like red, blue, green, or yellow. Like them, white has its own intriguing history. In this richly illustrated book, Michel Pastoureau, a celebrated authority on the history of colours, presents a fascinating visual, social,...
    Hardback
    $7999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Pink
    From the acclaimed author of Blue and other colour histories, the beautifully illustrated story of pink, from the first ancient pigments to Barbie. Pink has such powerful associations today that it's hard to imagine the colour could ever have meant anything different. But it's only since the introduction of the Barbie doll in 1959 that pink has become decisively feminised....
    Hardback
    $7999
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  • Black
    Blackβ€”favourite colour of priests and penitents, artists and ascetics, fashion designers and fascistsβ€”has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad. In this beautiful and richly illustrated book, the acclaimed author of Blue now tells the fascinating social history of the colour black in Europe. In the...
    Hardback
    $7999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Green
    In this beautiful and richly illustrated book, the acclaimed author of Blue and Black presents a fascinating and revealing history of the colour green in European societies from prehistoric times to today. Examining the evolving place of green in art, clothes, literature, religion, science, and everyday life, Michel Pastoureau traces how culture has profoundly changed the perception and meaning of...
    Hardback
    $9200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Blue
    A beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the colour blue throughout the ages. Blue has had a long and topsy-turvy history in the Western world. While the ancient Greeks scorned it as ugly and barbaric, most Americans and Europeans now cite it as their favourite colour. In this fascinating history, the renowned medievalist Michel Pastoureau traces the changing meanings...
    Hardback
    $9700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Red
    A beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the colour red throughout the ages. The colour red has represented many things, from the life force and the divine to love, lust, and anger. Up through the Middle Ages, red held a place of privilege in the Western world. For many cultures, red was not just one colour of many but...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Yellow
    A renowned authority on the history of colour and the author of celebrated volumes on blue, black, green, and red now traces the visual, social, and cultural history of yellow. Focusing on European societies, with comparisons from East Asia, India, Africa, and South America, he tells the intriguing story of the colour's evolving place in art, religion, fashion, literature, and...
    Hardback
    $7999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

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?

Yellow: The History of a Colour by Michel Pastoureau is praised for its rich illustrations and scholarly approach to tracing the historical and cultural significance of the colour yellow. Reviewers highlight its compelling narrative that explores yellow's varied roles across art, religion, and society, noting its intricate balance between being a symbol of joy and having complex, sometimes negative connotations. The book is considered both visually and intellectually engaging, exemplifying Pastoureau's deep exploration into the cultural journeys of colours.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691198255

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 26 November 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 135 color illus.

Contributors:

  • Translated by Jody Gladding
  • Translated by Jody Gladding

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 229.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Michel Pastoureau is a historian and emeritus director of studies at the cole Pratique des Hautes tudes de la Sorbonne in Paris. A renowned authority on the history of colors, symbols, and heraldry, he is the author of many books, including Blue, Black, Green, and Red (all Princeton). His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Also by Michel Pastoureau

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  • Black
    Blackβ€”favourite colour of priests and penitents, artists and ascetics, fashion designers and fascistsβ€”has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad. In this beautiful and richly illustrated book, the acclaimed author of Blue now tells the fascinating social history of the colour black in Europe. In the...
    Hardback
    $7999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Blue
    A beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the colour blue throughout the ages. Blue has had a long and topsy-turvy history in the Western world. While the ancient Greeks scorned it as ugly and barbaric, most Americans and Europeans now cite it as their favourite colour. In this fascinating history, the renowned medievalist Michel Pastoureau traces the changing meanings...
    Hardback
    $9700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Pink
    From the acclaimed author of Blue and other colour histories, the beautifully illustrated story of pink, from the first ancient pigments to Barbie. Pink has such powerful associations today that it's hard to imagine the colour could ever have meant anything different. But it's only since the introduction of the Barbie doll in 1959 that pink has become decisively feminised....
    Hardback
    $7999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Green
    In this beautiful and richly illustrated book, the acclaimed author of Blue and Black presents a fascinating and revealing history of the colour green in European societies from prehistoric times to today. Examining the evolving place of green in art, clothes, literature, religion, science, and everyday life, Michel Pastoureau traces how culture has profoundly changed the perception and meaning of...
    Hardback
    $9200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • White
    As a pigment, white is often thought to represent an absence of colour, but it is without doubt an important colour in its own right, just like red, blue, green, or yellow. Like them, white has its own intriguing history. In this richly illustrated book, Michel Pastoureau, a celebrated authority on the history of colours, presents a fascinating visual, social,...
    Hardback
    $7999
    In Stock
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  • The Colours of Our Memories
    What remains of the colours of our childhood? What are our memories of a blue rabbit, a red dress, a yellow bike – and were they really those colours? What colours do we associate with our student years, our first loves, our adult lives? How does colour leave its mark on memory? In an attempt to answer these and other...
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  • Red
    A beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the colour red throughout the ages. The colour red has represented many things, from the life force and the divine to love, lust, and anger. Up through the Middle Ages, red held a place of privilege in the Western world. For many cultures, red was not just one colour of many but...
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  • The Bear
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