![]() ![]() It's a real credit to the author for bringing together the details and history of so many colours, pigments and dyes, many of which have been 'lost' over the centuries, in a modern compendium. For me, that was mainly the colour profiles. ![]() ![]() Unfortunately I've been reading a library copy, and it's in demand, so I had to prioritise the parts to savour. 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.Ībsolutely beautiful to look at and fascinating to read, this is the kind of book that you'll want to really spend some time on. 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. Throughout history, pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects. Did 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? The royal color, used in the Roman Empire, resulted in hundreds of thousands of snails being sacrificed to produce a single ounce of dye. ![]()
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