The Secret Lives of Color

The unforgettable, unknown history of colors and the vivid stories behind them in a beautiful multi-colored volume

“Beautifully written . . . Full of anecdotes and fascinating research, this elegant compendium has all the answers.” —NPR, Best Books of 2017

The Secret Lives of Color tells the unusual stories of seventy-five fascinating shades, dyes, and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso’s blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green, and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.

In this book, Kassia St. Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colors and where they come from (whether Van Gogh’s chrome yellow sunflowers or punk’s fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilization. Across fashion and politics, art and war, the secret lives of color tell the vivid story of our culture.

“This passionate and majestic compedium will leave you bathed in the gorgeous optics of light.” —Elle

• Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition
• Werner's Nomenclature of Colours: Adapted to Zoology, Botany, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, and the Arts
• On Color
• Secret Language of Color: Science, Nature, History, Culture, Beauty of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, & Violet
• Color: A Natural History of the Palette
• The Anatomy of Color: The Story of Heritage Paints & Pigments
• The Designer's Dictionary of Color
• The Brilliant History of Color in Art
• The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History
• A Dictionary Of Color Combinations