Green: The History of a Color

Este livro serve como uma referencia altamente confiavel no topico de historia das cores, dada a enorme qualificação do autor..

An approachable text about colour in art. A good read

A mi mujer le está encantando toda la historia y todo lo que el libro le permite descubrir sobre este color. También se ha comprado lo del color rojo y lo del negro, así que juntos son una colección inestimable.

Another in Pastoureau's famous series! I love them all, particularly this one! I love the historical perspective he achieves, avoiding the distortions of a purely modern perspective. I love the fact that he sticks to what he knows about, and doesn't go outside the Western tradition. I love the fact that everything is presented in a highly readable way.

Well, the short answer is "Yes," and this book is the proof of that fact. Trivial as though the title may sound, the book is the result of research of a French historical expert who has spent years studying art, philosophy, and the fine arts, particularly as these relate to color and design. The present work, "Green" is the third English translation of the original French series that started with "Blue" and "Black," and there can be little denying that the work packs a wallop. It's not just fascinating: its engrossing.The book takes us from the fringes of pre-history and then into the Greek and Roman worlds to help establish how ancient cultures and civilizations viewed (no pun intended) the color. We then move into the medieval period, looking at the color's use in illuminated manuscripts, frescos, and painted sculpture. We continue to move forward in time, bringing the examination all the way to the present, describing and interpreting the color's reality across time. The narrative explores how the color has been differentially interpreted over these vast time periods (for example, why are all pharmacy crosses in France green? And why was green at one time associated with ill health, and others, with life and florid good health?), and presents the development of the color over time.It actually might sound trivial at first glance, but it is truly a unique and thought-provoking work. It makes associations between art, history, philosophy, and more. It gives us new perspectives on something as simple as a color (or is it really as simple as it first sounds?), and leaves us with what I can only describe as a truly unique and enjoyable examination of the subject.If you read "Green," you'll want "Blue" and "Black" (and "Red" and "Yellow" are to come), but, unfortunately, with the fame of these works spreading now that they are bring translated into English, the price of even used copies of "Blue" make them largely overpriced. (If you read French, however, the French versions of all these volumes can be picked up for nearly nothing at all.) As the works get press in such publications as The New York Review of Books, expect this situation to only get worse, unless the publisher decides on reprints. So, keep your eye's peeled for the new colors as they are released, and get them while you can.Finally, it must be said that this volume is beautifully printed, illustrated, and laid out in gorgeous, high resolution, deep color, glossy pages. The reproduced images do nothing but enhance the experience. It's a gorgeous volume, and really a reasonable price when you get it at it's normal release price. Five stars.