Color Problems: A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color

by Emily Noyes Vanderpoel, Keegan Mills Cooke (Editor)

Emily Noyes Vanderpoel (1842-1939) was an artist, collector, scholar, and historian working at the dawn of the 20th century. Her first and most prominent work, Color A Practical Manual for the Lay Student of Color, provides a comprehensive overview of the main ideas of color theory at the time, as well as her wildly original approaches to color analysis and interaction. Through a 21st century lens, she appears to stumble upon midcentury design and minimalism decades prior to those movements. Presenting her work as a painting manual under the guise and genre of flower painting and the decorative arts― subjects considered “appropriate” for a woman of her time―she was able to present a thoroughly studied, yet uniquely poetic, approach to color theory that was later taken up and popularized by men and became ubiquitous in contemporary art departments. Her remarkable inventiveness shines in a series of gridded squares, each 10 x 10, that analyze the proportions of color derived from actual Assyrian tiles, Persian rugs, an Egyptian mummy case, and even a teacup and saucer. Vanderpoel had a deep knowledge of ceramics and analyzed many pieces from her personal collection. She leaves her process relatively mysterious but what is clear, as historian and science blogger John Ptak notes, is that Vanderpoel “sought not so much to analyze the components of color itself, but rather to quantify the overall interpretative effect of color on the imagination”.

Genres: Art, Design, Nonfiction, Science

396 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1901

About the author

1842-1939

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a lay student of color, this book was written with the me of 100 years ago in mind, but now it's hard to know if it's of any true use to me any more. Certainly there were passages that seemed informative, but a lot of the technical discussion of color and it's properties seems wildly out of date in a world with computer screens and color pickers.

So instead I just tried to read it as an interesting point of view and historical account, and I enjoyed it for that. The passage about color-blindness was very interesting, and then she threw out this quote that cracked me up:

"A person so color-blind as to see no difference between the scarlet of a geranium blossom and the green of its leaves... is still and enthusiastic and seemingly an intelligent admirer of landscape and art. One cannot say from what the enjoyment arises, but it is certainly there." (9)

This is a little unfair though, she doesn't come across this callous again and is generally much more thoughtful, like this part about studying nature I enjoyed:

"Students in art and science are constantly bidden to go to nature for the abundant secrets she is ready to reveal to those who seek and prize them, and why should not workers in simpler, if not lower, occupations, be sent to the same source, which is so bountiful as to contain something for every one, and so, profiting by her fulness, learn at the same time to find contentment and joy in their work?" (114)

Ultimately this was my main takeaway, her love of color and the inspiration we can draw from natural sources, so well exampled in her fabulous plates at the back of the book.

[Nathan Muschinske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written gem for a lay student of color. I helped fund a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of reprinting the original work with color plates and accessories. I probably need to spend more time reviewing colors, their characteristics and how color fits into everyday life.

[Kate Picher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very thought provoking. I flipped back and forth from the text to the illustrations. I look up some of her recommendations and sources. Amazing that a book written over 100 years ago can still be technically relevant.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brilliantly describes my color deafness! I feel vindicated and very informed.

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una aproximación interesante al color, sobre todo en el tema de los contrastes. Menciona mucha bibliografía que trataré de conseguir.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read an article about this curious little tome on www.PublicDomainReview.org (an even curious-er website packed with brief academic articles about fantastic--you guessed it--out-of-copyright works). It's viewable in color on www.archive.org -- another wonderful site.

There's an appendix of color swatches to illustrate the concepts discussed therein, which I found as artful as it is practical. Much to be said for the charm and quaintness of "primitive" books, in comparison to our modern over-produced books, the designers of which might well take advantage of this author's discussion of complementary / contrasting colors/designs.