Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction

In Color and Culture, John Gage embarks on a sweeping exploration of how color has shaped Western art and thought, from ancient Greek philosophy and Roman symbolism, through Renaissance alchemy and Newtonian optics, to Bauhaus abstraction and beyond. This richly illustrated and meticulously researched work is an encyclopedic journey that reveals color not merely as visual phenomenon but as a cultural language imbued with meaning.

Gage deciphers the evolving theories of hue, how philosophers tried to categorize it, alchemists chased its material truths, and artists harnessed its symbolic power. He bridges the gap between science and aesthetics, tracing Goethe’s poetic color theory, Seurat’s pointillist experiments, and mid-century efforts to unite color with music. His analysis is celebrated for its scholarly depth: this renowned text earned the Mitchell Prize and has become a standard across five languages.

Readable yet erudite, Color and Culture invites anyone interested in art, psychology, history, or design to reconsider the hues that surround us. It's a masterwork, a definitive resource that allows color to speak in all its richness and complexity, reshaping the way we perceive the world.