Painted People: 5,000 Years of Tattooed History from Sailors and Socialites to Mummies and Kings

The Saturday Review writer called tattooing 'an art without a history' in 1881. Painted People is a fascinating and intimate look at an untold history of humanity, with the earliest tattoos belonging to Ötzi, the 'iceman'. Over the five thousand years since he was tattooed, countless cultures have performed this ancient practice, and people in every corner of the world have been tattooed. Dr Matt Lodder, one of the world's foremost experts on tattooing, tells the stories of people like Arnaq, who was tattooed in sixteenth-century Canada, and Horace Ridler, who was tattooed as a means to make money in 1930s London. These twenty-one tattoos paint a portrait of humanity as both artist and canvas.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 28 September 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

In 1881, a writer in the Saturday Review dismissed tattooing as an art without a history, stating that no one had dedicated their life to studying its development. However, that has changed with the publication of Painted People, a captivating and intimate exploration into an untold chapter of human history. The earliest tattoos yet discovered trace back to Ötzi, the "Iceman," whose mummy provides a fleeting glimpse into the prehistory of tattooing. Over the past five thousand years, countless cultures have practiced this ancient art form, and people from every corner of the globe have been tattooed.

Unfortunately, the majority of these fascinating histories remain stubbornly untold, hiding the secrets of Siberian princesses, Chinese generals, and Victorian socialites beneath layers of clothing and history. However, with access to a wealth of new and unreported material, this book aims to unveil the artwork hidden beneath these layers.

In Painted People, Dr. Matt Lodder, a renowned expert on tattooing, delves into the stories of individuals such as Arnaq, who underwent tattooing in accordance with her cultural and religious traditions in sixteenth-century Canada, and Horace Ridler, who resorted to tattooing as a means of income in 1930s London. Between these two extremes, Lodder describes tattoos inked for love, loyalty, sedition, espionage, and self-expression, as well as those inflicted on unwilling individuals to ostracize them.

Collectively, these twenty-one tattoos create a vivid portrait of humanity as both artists and canvases, showcasing the diverse and complex reasons behind tattooing throughout history.

Weight: 312g
Dimension: 129 x 198 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008402105