Colour
Travels Through the Paintbox
Published on 26. May 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-0-340-73329-5 (ISBN)
Description
'Pure pleasure'
Independent
'A rich read'
Evening Standard
'A delight'
Sunday Telegraph
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF VICTORIA FINLAY'S QUEST TO UNCOVER THE MANY SECRETS HIDDEN INSIDE THE PAINTBOX.
On her travels she visited remote Central American villages where women still wear skirts dyed with the purple tears of sea snails; learned how George Washington obsessed about his green dining room while he should have been busy with matters of state; and investigated the mystery of Indian Yellow paint, said to have been made from the urine of Indian cows force-fed with mango leaves.
From mascara to nomadic carpets and pillar boxes, the story of colour is the story of the efforts of artists and artisans to reproduce the rainbow - and the impact their work has had on the world.
Independent
'A rich read'
Evening Standard
'A delight'
Sunday Telegraph
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF VICTORIA FINLAY'S QUEST TO UNCOVER THE MANY SECRETS HIDDEN INSIDE THE PAINTBOX.
On her travels she visited remote Central American villages where women still wear skirts dyed with the purple tears of sea snails; learned how George Washington obsessed about his green dining room while he should have been busy with matters of state; and investigated the mystery of Indian Yellow paint, said to have been made from the urine of Indian cows force-fed with mango leaves.
From mascara to nomadic carpets and pillar boxes, the story of colour is the story of the efforts of artists and artisans to reproduce the rainbow - and the impact their work has had on the world.
Reviews / Votes
[Victoria Finlay's] curiosity is inexhaustible, her reading wide, and her writing style a delight * Sunday Telegraph * It's pure pleasure to join this gutsy arts reporter-cum-scholar on her quest for historical pigments and dyes around the world * Independent * A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic * Independent on Sunday * A treasure trove of human history and obsession...the breadth of research and insight is dazzling. * The Glasgow Herald * This is a rare and wonderful book - a model of erudition and charm, the writing elegant and precise, and with at least one new and fascinating revelation on every single page. I could not be more enthusiastic. * Simon Winchester, author of THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN * Packed with stories, anecdotes and adventures. A full rainbow ... as vivid as the colours themselves * Daily Express * You get your money's worth and change to spare ... Both picaresque and picturesque, it's a rich read. * Evening Standard * It's hard to criticise her spirit of cultural exploration and easy to share her intelligent enthusiasm . . .Packed with pertinent trivia . . . informative and fun * South China Morning Post * An utterly unique and fascinating read * Publishers Weekly * Full of forgotten facts and beguiling anecdotes . . . it would be hard to confront a painting ever again without seeing in it a kind of coded map of the world * Telegraph * An irresistible cornucopia ...Her travels are Marco Polish; her research vast but lightly worn. The whole book is an infectious delight. * RTE Guide * Packed with facts, fables and anecdotes ... Finlay's detailed and brilliantly researched account makes for a fascinating read * Australian Interior Trends * Victoria Finlay has unlocked the history of colour in this trawl through some little-known history * Courier Mail ( Australia) * A welcome reminder of the epic stories beneath the surface of everyday life * Telegraph *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
Maps and integrated illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
371 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-340-73329-5 (9780340733295)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
12/2014
Two Roads
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Victoria Finlay worked as a journalist in Hong Kong for eleven years, five of which were spent as arts editor for the South China Morning Post. Colour was her first book; since then she has also written Jewels: A Secret History, A Brilliant History of Color in Art, and Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World. She studied social anthropology and as well as travelling around the world in search of stories about her subjects, from pigments to jewels to art to fabric, has also worked for an international environment charity. She lives near Bath.