A groundbreaking, award-winning analysis of colour in Western culture, from the ancient Greeks to the late twentieth century by one of the most foremost authors on the subject.

What does the language of colour tell us? Where does one colour begin and another end? Is it a radiant visual stimulus, an intangible function of light, or a material substance to be moulded and arrayed? Colour is fundamental to art, yet so diverse that it has hardly ever been studied in a comprehensive way. Art historian John Gage considers every conceivable aspect of the subject in this groundbreaking analysis of colour in Western culture, from the ancient Greeks to the late twentieth century.

Gage describes the first theories of colour, articulated by Greek philosophers, and subsequent attempts by the Romans and their Renaissance disciples to organize it systematically or endow it with symbolic power. He unfolds its religious significance and its use in heraldry, as well as how Renaissance artists approached colour with the help of alchemists. He explores the analysis of the spectrum undertaken by Newton and continued in the nineteenth century by artists such as Seurat, traces the influence of Goethe's colour theory, and considers the extraordinary theories and practices that attempted to unite colour and music, or make colour into an entirely abstract language of its own.

The first-ever undertaking to suggest answers to many perennial questions about the role of colour in Western art and thought, this study throws fresh light on the hidden meanings of many familiar masterpieces.

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John Gage’s groundbreaking analysis of colour has been transforming our perceptions for more than three decades. Indispensable to anyone fascinated by art, psychology and history, this remarkable book considers every conceivable aspect of colour theory in Western culture.

From Roman symbolism to Bauhaus and beyond, this new edition, now featuring full colour illustrations throughout, will continue to serve as a pillar of visual arts scholarship.

About the Author:

John Gage was an acknowledged international authority on the history of art and colour, and wrote many books on the subject, including Colour and Meaning, Colour in Art and the award-winning Colour and Culture, all published by Thames & Hudson. He was Head of the Department of History of Art at Cambridge University from 1992 to 1995.

A wide-ranging and engaging introduction to the place and power of colour in life and art by John Gage, author of the award-winning Colour and Culture.

The complex phenomenon of colour has received detailed attention from the perspectives of physics, chemistry, physiology, psychology, linguistics and philosophy. However, the people who work most closely with colour – artists – have rarely been canvassed for their opinions on this mysterious subject.

John Gage sets out to address this omission by focusing on the thoughts and practices of artists. Colour in Art is concerned with the history of colour, but is not itself a history; instead each chapter develops a theme from a different scientific discipline, as seen from the viewpoint of such diverse artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Vincent van Gogh, Sonia Delaunay, Bridget Riley and Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Drawing on examples through the ages, from ancient times to the present, the many topics covered include flags, synaesthesia, Theosophy, theatre design, film, chromotherapy and chromophobia.

Featuring a new foreword by art writer Kelly Grovier outlining contemporary developments in the study of colour, and an updated bibliography, this new edition of this classic text offers a wide-ranging and engaging introduction to the place and power of colour in life and art.

About the Author:

John Gage an acknowledged international authority on the history of art and colour, and wrote many books on the subject, including Colour and Meaning and the award-winning Colour and Culture, both published by Thames & Hudson. He was Head of the Department of History of Art at Cambridge University from 1992 to 1995. Kelly Grovier is a feature writer for BBC Culture and the author of several acclaimed studies on art, including A New Way of Seeing: The History of Art in 57 Works (2018) and The Art of Colour (2023), both published by Thames & Hudson