interesting but not compelling at all, I had to remind myself to pick it up ( )

Lots of detail and worthwhile but I liked Secret Lives of Color a little better. ( )

To research the history of color is brilliant like a box of sixty-four. Who, for example, has thought about from where ochre originated? According to Finlay, ochre is the first color(s) of paint. I did not know that and to be totally honest, nor have I ever thought about ochre in this way. [My only thoughts in ochre were to be confused about what shade of yellow, red, or brown it is supposed to be.] Did you ever wonder what the HB on a pencil meant? Hardness and blackness. How about the origin of the phrase, "cut through all this red tape"? Who knew? Apparently, Finlay. That's who. She took the time to travel the globe looking for answers about color: Australia for ochre, England for black and brown, China for white, Chile for red, Italy for orange, India for yellow,...I wanted to make a map of all her travels. On the heels of reading Travels in a Thin Country I couldn't stop comparing Sara Wheeler's adventure to that of Victoria Finlay.
There is a fair amount of humor in Color. To see what I mean, find the section where Finlay describes the interesting practice of boiling cow urine after the bovine have been fed a steady diet of mango leaves for two weeks straight. ( )

I absolutely loved this.

Might not be for everyone but for a watercolorist who adores color - and fascinating history brought to life - it felt like you were right there, trotting around the globe, real-world verifying the backstories, vetting the myths and chasing elusive clues of the resplendent colors of your imagination (and palette).

I learned so much and was so inspired. It added a whole new natural grounding dimension to art for me.
( )

Dyes and pigments have been fairly interesting and important to me for a while--growing up, I lived pretty close to a Williamsburg-like living history museum, where I learned a fair bit about using natural dyes like black walnut and goldenrod that could be found or grown at the museum. Having appreciated them then and having read a book several years ago about the history of (in particular) the red cochineal dye, I was really excited when I learned about this book a while ago.

I definitely learned quite a bit about the history of dyes and similar materials from this book. It's arranged thematically by color, which chapters for all the colors of the rainbow as well as brown, black, and white. I think my favorite chapters were probably green, indigo (which has also always been one of my favorite materials to dye with), and purple. The purple chapter, right at the end of the book, was especially interesting to me because I'd known that snails were used for Roman dyes for a long time, and I really enjoyed learning about the process here.

Perhaps a major caution or just fyi that I'd like to add to this book, though, which keeps me from wanting to rate it higher is that not all of the book is quite what I'd expected--I'd gone into the book expecting information on the history of colors, which there definitely was, but the book was really more properly half history, half travelogue. Very substantial portions of each chapter are about the author traveling to India or Lebanon or Mexico or China or other places to physically visit places important in the history of different colors' dyestuffs. While I did enjoy parts of this, it really wasn't what I was expecting from the book, and I think I'd have been perfectly happy with a bit more focus on the colors and dyes themselves. ( )

Some passages are infectious with her fascination for the colors (pigments) and the histories. However, there was a lot of fanciful "What if"-ing, when the facts were not available. Also, the huge chunks of history could have been broken down into something easier to digest. The section on lapiz lazuli in Afghanistan was such a terribly dry read.

---

Almost half a year later, finally finished reading this. Often found myself glossing over paragraphs, and had to take breaks to get my concentration back. Now and then my efforts would be rewarded with a dinner conversation-worthy fact. "Did you know that some sacred Jewish vestments are dyed with a pigment from un-kosher sources?" "Did you know that Victorian wallpaper had arsenic?" It's like sifting through so much river silt, to find the occasional shiny nugget. A little patience is required.

All in all, it certainly makes one pause before being able to answer the question, "So what's your favorite color?" I think out of all the histories presented here, my favorite would be the Red chapter, then section on gamboge, but probably because of its exposure on Radiolab. ( )

From the first evidence of art on Paleolithic cave walls using natural ochres to the complex processes of concocting dyes and pigments from insects, poisonous elements, rare minerals and mollusks, humans have been manipulating natural resources to create color. Author Victoria Finlay journeys the world over in search of the sources and stories of and processes used to create the traditional hues we have used in artistic expression and to brighten the world around us for millennia.

Fascinating and informative, this was a perfect -- though unintentional -- companion read to Bill Bryson's At Home. ( )

This personal journey through the history of color is amazing!!! ( )

I have to admit that I only got part way through the chapter on Ochre before I abandoned it. I love-love-love the idea, but couldn't mesh with the style of writing. ( )

In the past, I've read entire books on single colors, but putting so many colors together in a single volume allows them to really play off each other and build into a even more powerful history lesson. There is much information about the world within this book's covers and it made me appreciate the entire palette of colors in one book. It's all here: science, art, great artists, politics, history, health, and equally as powerful–business, business, business. ( )

Chatty, warm, and full of interesting facts insouciantly intrepid travelogue.... delightful. ( )

Be seduced by the history of pigments. Basically about the author's travels while seeking out the origins of ancient colours. I loved this and gladdened by the extensive notes and bibliography. ( )

I've always been fascinated about the origins of colour, and in Color - A Natural History of the Palette, author Victoria Finlay travels the world in her search for the origin and birthplace of colors and dyes.

I wasn't interested in the author's personal travelogue, so I initially had the intention of skipping over any boring parts and jumping straight to the facts about the colours which are conveniently broken down into the following chapter headings:

1. Ochre
2. Black and Brown
3. White
4. Red
5. Orange
6. Yellow
7. Green
8. Blue
9. Indigo
10. Violet
What I found surprising was that there were no boring bits! Finlay has managed to keep herself out of the book for the most part, and the stories that were included were historically relevant to the colour being discussed and I didn't end up skipping a single paragraph.

Finlay's passion for color and dyes are clear early on, but far from boring the reader her enthusiasm is infectious and I found myself becoming quite excited when she found her first indigo plant or saw a purple field of saffron crocus (used for the color yellow) for the first time.

Some of my favourite facts include:
- Red was made from the blood of the Cochineal insect, which lives on a cactus leaf
- The colour yellow was made from saffron, harvested from the saffron crocus flower, however only 3 strands of saffron are collected from each flower.
- In 1775, arsenic was used to create a color called Scheele's Green. It took until 1880 for people to realise that the wallpapers and paints using this green (and other paints containing arsenic) were killing people and making others very sick. e.g. a cat had become covered with pustules after being locked in a green room.
- Purple is the colour that has been most legislated about over the longest time in history.
- Purple has been a regal colour for centuries and one form of purple was made from shellfish and worn by emperors of Ancient Rome. Finlay writes that those who wore it "probably left a cloud of garlicky, fishy smells in their wake," and that perhaps it was the "scent of power" at the time. What a thought!

I learned so much about the history of colour, dyes, art, art forgery, culture, events in history and trade across many countries and different time periods in the world's history. Everything from a secret green used on ancient Chinese porcelain to the colour blue used to dye English police uniforms in the 1960s was covered, all of which I found fascinating and easy to digest in Finlay's conversational writing style.

I thoroughly recommend Color - A Natural History of the Palette to readers who enjoy art, culture, history, non fiction and have a natural curiosity about the colours around us; great for trivia nights too! ( )

I wish I'd held on to this book, because I regularly find myself trying to remember how a particular colour or dye is made. All I remember is the story about yellow being extracted from Indian mango-eating cows - and that was shown to be a canard. So, with hindsight: an interesting, informative book on the story of colours in dyes and paints. ( )

Colour is one of my all-time-favourites and a book that I often think about and refer to. And, whenever I think of it, I just want to read it again. Finlay became fascinated by colours when she saw the light streaming through the stained glass windows of the cathedral of Chartres, and all I have to say is Thank you! She starts with black, white and ochre and continues through the colours of the rainbow- and takes us on a fantastic journey investigating the true reasons behind Napolon´s demise, saffron fields of Spain, the importance of cow pee for painters of sunshine and much much more. If you are anything like me, you will gladly follow her across the globe and enjoy the people she meets and the stories she shares. I am desperately longing for Victoria Finlay to write a new book- or for my copy of Colours, which is lent out to a good friend. ( )

Victoria Findlay is a journalist who takes us on a very entertaining journey through the rainbow of colours used by painters and dyers through the centuries (and millenia). She manages the right mix of history, social history and culture, chemistry, observation and personal anecdote. It reminded me a bit of Bill Bryson's writing, only her humour is gentler and she manages to sustain her tone for the whole book. ( )

A marvelous mix of history, culture, chemistry, and the practical, social, and artistic issues of the use of colour. I had no particular interest in the topic based on the title, but, after some strong recommendations, picked up this work and was captivated. It's quite a lengthy tome, but is easy to read a chapter at a time whenever the mood is right. Each chapter focuses on one colour (or black, brown or white), and delves into where pigments and dyes come from, how they are made, the chemical and biological hazards associated with various sources and methods, the related cultural history, the impact of a colour on historical events, etc., ,etc., etc. This book is really loaded with historical, cultural, and scientific insights that will capture the mind regardless of your interest in the subject of colour itself. Highly recommended.

Os. ( )

The author travelled the world in search of the origins of pigments and dyes. The result is this idiosyncratic book which is part art history, part a dissertation on the appeal that different colours have and have had for human beings. First published in 2002 by Hodder, the Folio edition is hardly a bedside book, the text and illustrations being entirely printed on heavy art paper, but it is full of unexpected and quirky historical anecdotes and travel reminiscences from all over the world. ( )

A very readable story of one woman's quest to learn the stories of the old dyes and pigments. In the process she uncovered the rise and fall of whole industries, cities built on a particular color, lives focused on a color. She also reveals the meanings and significance these various colors have had within cultures then and now. In many cases finding the stories involved a difficult wild goose chase. Surprising to discover that colors had an impact on trade and power approaching that of spices until the advent of synthetic colors. ( )

Victoria Finlay already gained one big fan when I first read her Jewels: A Secret History. This book preceded Jewels although the style is the same - part travelogue, part history. The author gets to travel the world over to search out the source and stories behind colour pigments, meeting fascinating people along the way. I was naturally fascinated to read about the gemstones like malachite and lapis lazuli which were once used as pigments. But the references to jewels are minimal but this should not detract from what is a most enjoyable read. ( )

One of the fastest, best non-fiction reads. I wish there had been more chapters, looking at more colors and facets of art and social history. ( )

A very interesting idea for a book - tracing the origins of the pigments and dyes used throughout history (before the relatively recent implementation of synthetic petroleum-based pigments). In theory, this book shouldn't really appeal to me - I'm not a big non-fiction reader in general, and I know little to nothing about art or art history. Still, I thought that this book was really engaging and interesting. It's formated as a cross between a pop-sci book on pigments and a travelogue as the author searches out the historical sources and artifacts of these colors (and disappointingly doesn't ever crack the mystery in some cases). The writing is much more conversational than scholarly, and its only real organization is the chapter format (by color) - frequent digressions into interesting but tangential trivia are common. Still, it's engaging and easy to follow. At times I wanted more technical detail, more chemistry on why the colors look the way the do, why they fade, why they can only come from one species of snail or one delicate flower. Though, of course, had I wanted a more technical book, I'm sure I could have found one. This one introduced me to a bunch of interesting history, art, and trivia I never would have known about otherwise, and I really enjoyed it for that. ( )

The material is fascinating enough to make the rather plodding writing worth following. The author clearly has passion for the subject, but somehow this gets lost in the rather dry prose. It could have been so much better. ( )

I've been meaning to read this book for ages, since I first found it in a bookstore, and I wasn't disappointed. There were times when I wanted more continuity, and more references so I could pursue some of the stories on my own, but in general a wonderful read with fascinating facts and imaginings that connect to the history of empire, of art, of psychology, of food and of cultural survival. Stories about Aboriginal art in Australia and the purple skirts worn by women in the Andes will particularly stay with me. ( )

Victoria Finlay, a Hong Kong-based arts journalist, travels around the world to discover the origins and nature, both physical and social, of the substances that make up the colours in the classic artist's palette.

A must-read for anyone who enjoys art history.