Includes glossary and index.

1: Natural resources and trade : color use in traditional cultures -- 2: Knowing at a distance : color problems in ancient Greek thought -- 3: Stained glass and illluminations : European and Islamic color theory before Galileo -- 4: Prisms, mirrors, and lenses : the Newtonian revolution -- 5: Romanticism and chromophobia : the creation of color theory in the nineteenth century -- 6: The science of the invisible : color classification systems and spiritual color -- 7: High modern : color use at the Bauhaus and in abstract expressionism -- 8: Postmodern : contemporary directions in color use

Giving an overview of the history of color theory from ancient and classical cultures to contemporary contexts, this book explores important critical principles and provides practical guidance on the use of color in art and design. Going beyond a simple recitation of what has historically been said about color, artist and educator Aaron Fine provides an intellectual history, critiquing prevailing Western ideas on the subject and challenging assumptions. He analyses colonialist and gendered attitudes, materialist and romanticist perspectives, spiritualist approaches to color, color in the age of reproduction, and modernist and post-modernist color strategies. Highlighted throughout are examples of the ways in which attitudes towards color have been impacted by the legacy of colonialism and are tied up with race, gender, and class. Topics covered include color models, wheels and charts, color interaction and theories of perception, with over 150 images throughout. By placing under-examined tenets of color theory such as the color wheel and color primaries within the Western industrial context that generated them, Fine helps you to connect color choices to color meanings and apply theory to practice--Publisher's description