Spanning from the ancient world to modern leaps in technology, and vibrantly illustrated throughout, this book will add a little chroma to anyone’s understanding of the history of colors. Red lead, for example, was invented by the ancient Greeks by roasting white lead, and it became the dominant red in medieval painting.

Did you know that the Egyptians created the first. Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Colour by David Coles. From grinding down beetles and burning animal bones to alchemy and pure luck, Chromatopia reveals the origin stories behind over fifty of history’s most vivid color pigments.įeaturing informative and detailed color histories, a section on working with monochromatic color, and “recipes” for paint-making, Chromatopia provides color enthusiasts with an eclectic story of how synthetic colors came to be. Buy Chromatopia:An Illustrated History of Colour by Coles David for 28.99 at Mighty Ape Australia. Throughout history, artists pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects. Chromatopia: An Illustrated History of Color David Coles Thames & Hudson, Art - 240 pages 0 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when. Throughout history, pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects.

This origin story of history’s most vivid color pigments is perfect for artists, history buffs, science lovers, and design fanatics.ĭid you know that the Egyptians created the first synthetic color and used it to create the famous blue crown of Queen Nefertiti? Or that the noblest purple comes from a predatory sea snail? In the Roman Empire, hundreds of thousands of snails had to be sacrificed to produce a single ounce of dye.

David coles chromatopia