Asked by royalty to analyze why certain very expensive fabrics didn't meet expectations, a French chemist found that the dyes could not be blamed. M.E. Chevreul named the real culprit in a single paragraph-which he then expanded into a unified theory about every design discipline and, in 1839, the most ambitious and influential book ever written about color usage. Half a century later, On the Law of Simultaneous Contrast of Colors had become "the scientific foundation of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painting," according to Johannes Itten. "It is my Bible," said Winslow Homer. Vincent van Gogh called it "a luminous theory of colors," allowing "effects so violent that the human eye can scarcely stand to look at them." Chevreul explained how and why this occurred, but he then went on to discuss how it affects and can be exploited in any artistic context. Although this book is mostly noted for its impact on painting (and by extension, photography) it culminates with a chapter labeled Ten Principles for All Forms of Visual Art. He meant it, too: he prescribes design principles for tapestries, carpets, furniture, mosaics, churches, museums, apartments, formal gardens, theaters, maps, typography, framing, stained glass, and even military uniforms. Chevreul's basic ideas were clear but his explanations of how to implement them were convoluted even in the original French. The standard English edition, the only one available in print until now, has been condemned as plodding and misleading ever since it appeared in 1854. Today, this brilliant work reappears in a lucid form that goes far beyond a "translation." Color expert Dan Margulis has rewritten obscure parts, corrected errors, updated references, commented separately when needed, and added six chapters of his own. Technology stymied Chevreul's desire for extensive color graphics. Margulis has added them: photographs, line art, and reproductions of the works of those who swore by his ideas. And, he has used his digital expertise to explain what few critics have understood about how the painters were choosing their colors.

An experimental approach to the study and teaching of color is comprised of exercises in seeing color action and feeling color relatedness before arriving at color theory.

This is Volume VI of twenty-one in a collection of Cognitive Psychology. The first edition of this book appeared in 1911, and the second in 1930. It offers a study of the modes of appearance and measures of perception of colour and the phenomenology of illumination, as well as film colours like grey, transparent and translucent colours, light and space determined colours, contrast and theories of colour constancy.

The history of art is inseparable from the history of color. And what a fascinating story they tell together: one that brims with an all-star cast of characters, eye-opening details, and unexpected detours through the annals of human civilization and scientific discovery. Enter critically acclaimed writer and popular journalist Victoria Finlay, who here takes readers across the globe and over the centuries on an unforgettable tour through the brilliant history of color in art. Written for newcomers to the subject and aspiring young artists alike, Finlay’s quest to uncover the origins and science of color will beguile readers of all ages with its warm and conversational style. Her rich narrative is illustrated in full color throughout with 166 major works of art—most from the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Readers of this book will revel in a treasure trove of fun-filled facts and anecdotes. Were it not for Cleopatra, for instance, purple might not have become the royal color of the Western world. Without Napoleon, the black graphite pencil might never have found its way into the hands of Cézanne. Without mango-eating cows, the sunsets of Turner might have lost their shimmering glow. And were it not for the pigment cobalt blue, the halls of museums worldwide might still be filled with forged Vermeers. Red ocher, green earth, Indian yellow, lead white—no pigment from the artist’s broad and diverse palette escapes Finlay’s shrewd eye in this breathtaking exploration.