Color Charts: A History

Color Charts is a beautifully illustrated history of the many inventive, poetic, and alluring ways in which color swatches have been selected and staged. It traces the emergence of modern color charts from processes developed over the centuries and argues that they have played an essential and enduring role in the way societies think about color.

Format: Hardback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 06 February 2024
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The quest to categorize and convey color has driven practitioners and scholars alike for centuries. Color Charts delves into the diverse techniques and ingenious inventions devised since the fifteenth century by doctors, naturalists, dyers, and painters to catalog fragments of colors. As industrial society emerged, manufacturers and merchants crafted some of the most exquisite and diverse tools ever created to showcase the vast array of available colors. These tools enabled society to uncover the rich tapestry of color embodied in a multitude of materials, including fabric cuts, leather, paper, rubber, wood, linoleum, silk, paint, pastels, lipstick, and floral arrangements. These samples not only shape a visual culture but also instill a profound longing for color.

Anne Varichon explores the origins of modern color charts by tracing the development of processes across various contexts over centuries. She presents captivating examples that bring this remarkable story to life, from ancient writings that reveal meticulous attention to precise shades to contemporary designers' color charts, dyers' notebooks, and Werners renowned color nomenclature. Varichon contends that color charts have interconnected generations of artists, artisans, scientists, industrialists, and merchants, and have played a vital and enduring role in shaping societies' perception of color.

Drawing on nearly two hundred documents from public and private collections, nearly all previously unpublished, this beautifully illustrated book showcases the multifaceted nature of color charts in their various forms and expressions. It serves as a practical guide for artists, designers, historians, and anyone interested in the captivating world of color.

Weight: 1956g
Dimension: 256 x 292 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691255170