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‘A rare and wonderful book… I could not be more enthusiastic.’ Simon Winchester
‘A treasure trove of human history and obsession…the breadth of research and insight is dazzling.’ Glasgow Herald
Colour unlocks the history of the colours of the rainbow, and reveals how paints came to be invented, discovered, traded and used. This remarkable and beautifully written book, part travelogue part narrative history, remembers a time when red paint was really the colour of blood, when orange was the poison pigment, blue as expensive as gold, and yellow made from the urine of cows force-fed with mangoes. It looks at how green was carried by yaks along the silk road, and how an entire nation was founded on the colour purple.
‘A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic’ Independent on Sunday
Exciting, richly informative, and always surprising, Colour lifts the lid on the historical palette and unearths an astonishing wealth of stories about the quest for colours, and our efforts to understand them.
‘A treasure trove of human history and obsession…the breadth of research and insight is dazzling.’ Glasgow Herald
Colour unlocks the history of the colours of the rainbow, and reveals how paints came to be invented, discovered, traded and used. This remarkable and beautifully written book, part travelogue part narrative history, remembers a time when red paint was really the colour of blood, when orange was the poison pigment, blue as expensive as gold, and yellow made from the urine of cows force-fed with mangoes. It looks at how green was carried by yaks along the silk road, and how an entire nation was founded on the colour purple.
‘A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic’ Independent on Sunday
Exciting, richly informative, and always surprising, Colour lifts the lid on the historical palette and unearths an astonishing wealth of stories about the quest for colours, and our efforts to understand them.
Reviews
[Victoria Finlay's] curiosity is inexhaustible, her reading wide, and her writing style a delight
It's pure pleasure to join this gutsy arts reporter-cum-scholar on her quest for historical pigments and dyes around the world
A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic
A treasure trove of human history and obsession...the breadth of research and insight is dazzling.
This is a rare and wonderful book - a model of erudition and charm, the writing elegant and precise, and with at least one new and fascinating revelation on every single page. I could not be more enthusiastic.
Packed with stories, anecdotes and adventures. A full rainbow ... as vivid as the colours themselves
You get your money's worth and change to spare ... Both picaresque and picturesque, it's a rich read.
It's hard to criticise her spirit of cultural exploration and easy to share her intelligent enthusiasm . . .Packed with pertinent trivia . . . informative and fun
An utterly unique and fascinating read
Full of forgotten facts and beguiling anecdotes . . . it would be hard to confront a painting ever again without seeing in it a kind of coded map of the world
An irresistible cornucopia ...Her travels are Marco Polish; her research vast but lightly worn. The whole book is an infectious delight.
Packed with facts, fables and anecdotes ... Finlay's detailed and brilliantly researched account makes for a fascinating read
Victoria Finlay has unlocked the history of colour in this trawl through some little-known history
A welcome reminder of the epic stories beneath the surface of everyday life
