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Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism
Is color just a physiological reaction, a sensation resulting from different wave lengths of light on receptors in our eyes? Does color have an effect on our feelings? The phenomenon of color is examined in extraordinary new ways in John Gage's latest book. His pioneering study is informed by the conviction that color is a contingent, historical occurrence whose meaning, like language, lies in the particular contexts in which it is experienced and interpreted.
Gage covers topics as diverse as the optical mixing techniques implicit in mosaic; medieval color-symbolism; the equipment of the manuscript illuminator's workshop, the color languages and color practices of Latin America at the time of the Spanish Conquest; the earliest history of the prism; and the color ideas of Goethe and Runge, Blake and Turner, Seurat and Matisse.
From the perspective of the history of science, Gage considers the bearing of Newton's optical discoveries on painting, the chemist Chevreul's contact with painters and the growing interest of experimental psychologists in the topic of color in the late nineteenth century, particularly in relation to synaesthesia. He includes an invaluable overview of the twentieth-century literature that bears on the historical interpretation of color in art. Gage's explorations further extend the concepts he addressed in his prize-winning book, Color and Culture .
Gage covers topics as diverse as the optical mixing techniques implicit in mosaic; medieval color-symbolism; the equipment of the manuscript illuminator's workshop, the color languages and color practices of Latin America at the time of the Spanish Conquest; the earliest history of the prism; and the color ideas of Goethe and Runge, Blake and Turner, Seurat and Matisse.
From the perspective of the history of science, Gage considers the bearing of Newton's optical discoveries on painting, the chemist Chevreul's contact with painters and the growing interest of experimental psychologists in the topic of color in the late nineteenth century, particularly in relation to synaesthesia. He includes an invaluable overview of the twentieth-century literature that bears on the historical interpretation of color in art. Gage's explorations further extend the concepts he addressed in his prize-winning book, Color and Culture .
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 21, 2015
A classic, academic treatment of color, with a good overview of color from 1500s-mid-1900s. Quoted by many studying painters' use of color. Valuable for me were the descriptions of the various color theories used by Turner, Kandinsky, Matisse and Seurat. I found it more useful on a second read through. I note Architect's Journal back cover review says, "Erudite but Accessible." Exactly.
January 9, 2010
Just skip back to the last few chapters beginning with Turner. I hate books about color that have reproduced paintings in black and white. What are they thinking!
June 24, 2016
An interesting read, if a bit disorganized. Gage is critical of Berlin and Kay, although the criticism seems more like nit-picking than a real takedown argument. Modern art discussions include Kandinsky and blue, and Matisse and black. There's no real arc to the book, and it sort of just ends, but it does focus on the substantial connections between color and meaning without getting caught up in academic rabbit-trails. Not as much science as the subtitle implies, too.
July 5, 2023
I'll begin with the fact that this book probably wasn't meant for me. As someone expecting a breakdown of color's psychological/cultural implications, I was a bit disappointed when it focused more on the science of creating colors and various artists' use of color.
Did I still find interesting points? Absolutely. The first few chapters were very interesting, and right up the alley I was expecting. And when we hit the refraction/color spectrum unit in Astronomy, I was already prepared. (Funny how these things work out.)
But, a lot of this went over my head. Which is the fault of the reader, rather than the fault of the writer. That said, I am confused about the whole black-and-white photos thing in a book about color....
Did I still find interesting points? Absolutely. The first few chapters were very interesting, and right up the alley I was expecting. And when we hit the refraction/color spectrum unit in Astronomy, I was already prepared. (Funny how these things work out.)
But, a lot of this went over my head. Which is the fault of the reader, rather than the fault of the writer. That said, I am confused about the whole black-and-white photos thing in a book about color....
December 30, 2023
Well it's taken me nearly half a year to finish this book, but I finally finished it. Knowing what I know now, I would not have read part one. For me it was very dull and hard to get past. Part two was far more interesting for me.
I imagine this would be a good place to start looking for references for an art essay. But I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking for color theory, because I didn't get much of that from this.
I imagine this would be a good place to start looking for references for an art essay. But I wouldn't recommend this book if you're looking for color theory, because I didn't get much of that from this.
October 14, 2023
Fantástico. Un completísimo ensayo sobre el color y sus significados a lo largo de los siglos.
May 17, 2012
my favourite book of last year
amazing
everyone should read
revelationary
amazing
everyone should read
revelationary
Want to read
November 26, 2014November 2014: available at SFPL, PLS
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews