Color: A Visual History from Newton to Modern Color Matching Guides

This is a pretty great textbook on color, makes a great addition to a studio or as a coffee table book.

Full of lovely information on color theory and a delight to read!

Not what I had hoped it would be. Returned.

This book contains some interesting history of color with images from a variety of sources over the last 3 centuries. It seems to be missing some things and other parts seem repetitive. If you can find this at your local library to flip through and appreciate, that would be worthwhile. But I wouldn’t spend a lot of money or go out of your way to get it. There are better books on the topic that are more comprehensive. There was an interesting exhibit at Cooper-Hewitt a few years ago on the topic. I recall seeing numerous historical works and references there that are not mentioned in this book. 3.5 stars.

As a graphic designer, I am always looking for ways to blend colors in unique ways to make my designs stand out. As an artist, I'm curious about the history and why colors that seemingly have nothing in common go so well together.This book offers the interesting history of how color has been recorded, explored, and understood throughout history. Using an astounding collection of original color material including charts, wheels, artists' palettes, and swatches, the book showcases centuries of significant scientific discoveries and artistic exploration.It highlights the visual quality and beauty of various color theories over time and celebrates the creativity of their design and codification.The book illustrates everything from fourteenth-century illuminated manuscripts to Moses Harris's The Natural System of Colours (ca. 1769), and from 1814's Werner's Nomenclature of Colours to Paul Klee's color harmonies to highlight the fascinating interactions of science and art. This stunning display of shades, tints, and tones is an authoritative guide for anyone working in the arts, as well as anyone passionate about color in their personal lives, homes, and surroundings.This would be a wonderful gift for anyone starting out in graphic design or who wants to improve their artistic skills - knowing how color works and why is what takes mediocre to magnificent.

I really enjoyed this book. If you are at all into color and color theory, I think that you too will not only enjoy it, but learn a few, and most likely a lot of, new things along the way as well.In spite of all of my college level art training and art history classes, I actually never learned color history! Oh, maybe a few things here and there, but nothing like what is contained in the book. I kept finding things that I was shocked I had not learned, such as that Isaac Newton was the one who unraveled the mysteries of rainbows by using prisms to refract and separate the color spectrum. That is a rather important discovery! Better to have learned it late than never!This book is filled with full-color illustrations (often in two-page spreads) that visually support each of the chapters and seem very well-chosen to do so.The changes in the availability of certain colors along with changes in which colors and color combinations were historically aesthetically pleasing is fascinating.This book is not only for color nerds, but for anyone interested in keeping their understanding of art history and appreciation of art.

Not as visual as I thought it would be, as it also includes a lot of long scholarly text. It's a beautiful book, just a little chewier than expected.

My wife is an art museum docent. She finds this useful in preparing tours.