NONFICTION

The Brilliant History of Color in Art

by Victoria Finlay
Getty. Nov. 2014. 128p. illus. index. ISBN 9781606064290. $24.95. FINE ARTS
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Finlay, a former arts editor for South China Morning Post and author (Color: A Natural History of the Palette; Jewels: A Secret History) presents a deceptively simple and accessible text that never pretends to be more than a conversational overview of the development and use of color in art. Yet, beginning with cave paintings and progressing casually through the centuries up to the present, the book provides a wealth of information, including brief forays into the science of color, that will leave a reader well informed and hungry for more.
VERDICT Beautifully illustrated with examples, mostly drawn from the collections of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and rich with lesser-known anecdotes from art history, the book succeeds perfectly in walking a fine line between the educational and the entertaining to deliver a wholly satisfying and stimulating perspective. It will please new and veteran artists, those interested in historical tidbits, and newcomers to the field.
Reviewed by Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY
This handsome volume traces the use of (and science behind) colors throughout art history, from manganese black in the prehistoric Lascaux Cave paintings to contemporary artist David Hockney's use of "pixels as pigment." Finlay's prose is richly informed but unpretentious, and the art reproductions are excellent. However, sidebars, lengthy captions, and full-page inserts on semi-related topics sometimes interrupt the main narrative's flow. Ind.
 , Nov 01, 2014
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