Colour: A Master Class Art History, Symbolism, Masterpieces, Materials

From the first decorative pigments in Paleolithic caves, to Sonia Delaunay’s contrasts of primary and secondary colors, to Dan Flavin’s neon light installations, this comprehensive, illustrated guide demonstrates how color—through different periods, cultures, and artistic movements—has been used and interpreted in art. Through sixty masterworks from prehistory to the present day, the history and symbolic meanings of colors are explored, as well as the materials and techniques employed by artists to convey their effects, from Yves Klein’s monochromes to Mark Rothko’s fields of vibrant colors, or from Claude Monet’s impressions of a fleeting moment in time to David Hockney’s ultramarine blue reflections and shadows, inspired by Johannes Vermeer. Featuring the chromatically remarkable creations of artists including Veronese, Van Gogh, Hokusai, Kandinsky, O’Keeffe, Kahlo, or Warhol, this volume offers an enlightening overview of the history of color in art.