Blue
The History of a Color.
by Michel Pastoureau · first published 2001
80% recommend20% neutral
"Blue has had a long and topsy-turvy history in the Western world. Once considered a hot color, it is now icy cool. The ancient Greeks scorned it as ugly and barbaric, but most Americans and Europeans now pick it as their favorite color. In this history, the renowned medievalist Michel Pastoureau traces the changing meanings of blue from its rare appearances in prehistoric art to its international ubiquity today in blue jeans and Gauloises cigarette packs." "Pastoureau investigates how the ever-changing role of blue in society has been reflected in manuscripts, stained glass, heraldry, clothin
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If you're interested in ancient blue, the book Blue: The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau is very enjoyable. I also enjoyed his Red history book. And I've just noticed that he went on to write histories of Yellow, Green, White, and…
on “Colours in Homer #1: the bronze sky” ↗Do you know the book "Blue: The History of a Color" by Michel Pastoureau? As far as I know it's the more complete on the topic.
on “Egyptian Blue: The Color of Technology” ↗Try "Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Colour" by Phillip Ball. [0]. If you're just interested in the colour blue there's also "Blue: The History of a Color" by Michel Pastoureau [1]. The Pastoureau book is more of an overview of art history than a discussion of the history underlying the discovery of the pigment…
on “Lapis Lazuli: A Blue More Precious Than Gold” ↗A beautiful book by Michel Pastoureau, Blue: The History of a Color (2001), the same content as the article in book form. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-History-Color-Michel-Pastoureau/...
on “The Color of the Future: A history of blue” ↗> Michel Pastoureau’s book on blue begins by highlighting the neglect this colour faced among the ancient Greeks and Romans, who rarely wrote about it or used it. He even explores the intriguing question of whether ancient peoples could…
on “Colour in the Middle Ages” ↗