Pigments brings together leading art historians and conservators to trace the history of the materials used to create color and their invention across different cultures and time periods.
For millennia, humans have used pigments to decorate, narrate and instruct. Charred bones, crushed earth, stones, insects and blood were the first pigments. This illustrated book contains historical essays and case studies that shed light on the many forms of pigments—the organic and inorganic. The book shows how pigments were as central to the earliest art forms and global trade networks as they are to today's commerce, decoration and artistic expression.
From cave paintings to contemporary art, Pigments demonstrates how a material understanding of color opens up new perspectives on visual culture and art history.
Author: Barbara H. Berrie
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Language: English