An innovative, award-winning analysis of color in Western culture, from the ancient Greeks to the end of the twentieth century, by one of the most prominent writers on the subject. What does the language of color tell us? Where does a color begin and where does it end? Is it a radiant visual stimulus, an intangible function of light, or a material substance that can be shaped and arranged? Color is fundamental to art, yet it is so diverse that it has rarely been studied in a systematic way.

Art historian John Gage examines every possible aspect of the subject in this groundbreaking analysis of color in Western culture, from the ancient Greeks to the end of the twentieth century. Gage describes the early theories of color, formulated by Greek philosophers, and the subsequent efforts by the Romans and their Renaissance students to systematically organize color or invest it with symbolic power. He analyzes its religious significance as well as its use in heroic art, and explores how Renaissance artists approached color with the help of alchemists.

He explores the spectrum analysis conducted by Newton and continued in the nineteenth century by artists like Seurat, looks back at the influence of Goethe's color theory, and examines the remarkable theories and practices that attempted to unite color with music or make color a completely abstract language of its own. This study sheds new light on the hidden meanings of many familiar masterpieces.

Pages: 448, Publication Year: 1024, Dimensions: 20.6x20.6cm