Customer Reviews

Blue: The History of a Color.

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Woad, Indigo, Azurite, Lapis, Copper Silicate, Blue Vitriol are some of the sources of the color blue. BLUE, THE HISTORY OF A COLOR, by Michel Pastoureau, is a beautiful art history book, whose organizing principle is the color--blue. Pastoureau's book is a bit "Francocentered" but nevertheless, who better to reflect on blue than a Frenchman. BLUE is both informative and entertaining and a must for any serious art book collector. The photgraphy of various works of art--including selected stained glass windows from the early church--is stunning. The book is loaded with illustrations showing pages from psalters, cathedral windows, figurines, and other art.

For millions of years, the major colors for artistic expression were Black-White-Red. Ancient tales such as "Little Red Riding Hood", "Snow White", and "The Fox and the Crow" reflect this primary triad. The Romans considered blue an inferior color, especially since the Celts up North had discovered the leaves from the Woad plant could be made into a beautiful blue "pastel" suitable for body painting. The liturgal colors of the Catholic Church date from Roman times and are red-white-black (green was added later). However, at some point between the time the Romans lost Europe and the Catholic Church reentered recorded history, blue became associated with Mary the mother of Christ. When Abbe Suger built St. Denis, blue began to rival red for supremacy within the church, although blue never became a vestment color. When St. Louis built his Chapel and the Capet family became the rulers of France with Mary as their patron, the fleur de lis on a blue background became the family standard and the flag of France (fleur de lis = lily of Mary, although it may be a blue flag or iris).

No sooner had blue become THE color of colors, than the Protestants (Pastoureau calls them "Chromoclasts") demanded everything be turned black to reflect sin and penance. After they smashed a few thousand church windows, these reformers, who have been linked to capitalism, turned everything else black -- from telephones to automobiles. As Henry Ford once said, the customer can have any color he wants as long as it's black. Black went on to became the dress of high society--from stove pipe hats to tuxedoes to the little black dress.

During the Reformation, red and white had been dismissed by the Protestants but the shot heard round the world gave them a second chance as the new red-white-blue and blue-white-red flags led to military pants and coats in similar colors. But red and white were a dismal failure as they made targets of their wearers. Blue blends into the horizon so it has lasted longer as a battle garment. Although jungle fatigues and black commando suits are more often than not seen on modern battlefields, mess dress is still blue-white-red for many, and UN soldiers wear fleur-de-lis blue helmets. Blue eventually replaced black on the social front as descendents of the "Puritans" gave up black frocks for navy blue blazers and jeans.

Pastoureau covers iconography, iconology, symbolism, sociology, ethnology, the economic aspects of weaving, dyeing, and manufacture, and a host of other topics associated with the color blue. The book is incredibly rich in detail but far too short, and in the end it raises more questions than it addresses. Pastoureau points to many historical sources that have yet to be translated or fully examined, and art history majors looking for a thesis subject would be well advised to check out this book.

A negative review of this book deemed the author "arrogant", "Francophile" and "contemptuous". It is true that this text is Western-focused, and Pastoureau is very clear from the beginning that he does not attempt to achieve a universal history of blue. However, while Franco-centrism is at times self evident, it never gets to the point of being annoying, much less depreciating the overall quality of his job. This is a beautiful, well-researched and much appealing text that serves much more as a question opener and debate setting object rather than a final word on the matter.

Pastoureau's work is chronologically ordered, and revolves around the central idea that blue was ignored for much of mankind's early history, until its faith started to change around the twelfth and the thirteen century for a number of ideological and technical reasons. According to this hypothesis, blue then suffered a radical transformation for good which enabled it to achieve the well known status of being the West's favorite color that we know today.

His prose is elegant and engaging, the translation is flawless and supporting pictures are carefully chosen to ensure the reader's commendation. I would, however, point out two weak points in the book:

1) It can be immediately appreciated that Pastoureau's historical expertise is at his best on the period covering from the Late Middle Ages to probably the seventeenth century (this is an achievement of its own, however). I found his command of relevant primary sources impeccable and his ideas strongly supported by the latter. As the book progresses, tough, the analysis becomes coarser, more speculative and less supported by historical research (though not less appealing, for sure). As a consequence, the text has a somewhat 'uneven' feeling in terms of depth. Analysis concerning the eighteenth century strays much from its original purpose, and the French Revolution simply occupies much of his thoughts (this is where Francophilia becomes the most obvious and I'm sure this particular section is what secured the arrogance claim by other reviews).

2) Color is a social construction. Pastoureau strongly advocates this idea throughout the book, which is also one of his most compelling arguments. Ironically, his strongest idea also contributes to what could be perceived as an undermining of his own arguments in the final chapters, where he simply slips the possibility that it might all be too subjective to tell for sure.

Overall, none of this should be upheld as a major argument to dismiss his work, a product of the most acute and distinctive French critical tradition. A fine book that must not be missed.

Gorgeous illustrations and just a really cool topic, especially for those interested in both history and art. I gave this as a gift to someone for Christmas and they absolutely loved it.

The times reviewed it best. And I would agree it ranks up there as one of the most engaging nonfiction reads of that year.

I was dissappointed by this book. Not sure what I was expecting. Think perhaps more hints, reading, ideas and things like that. However, the book is very colorful so would make an acceptable coffee Table book.

Only a Frenchman could have written this. Gorgeously illustrated, divertingly precious, breath-takingly arrogant, and close to useless. Pastoureau speculates, tells us how shamefully others have speculated, and then speculates some more. His arrogance, Francophilia, and contempt for people whose previous work does not meet his standards (and lord knows what they are) all work to ruin what could have been an exiciting book. He has a point to make, and darned if chronology, sense, or vision will keep him from doing so. A true history of the color awaits. Hopefully it will come in as pretty a package.

Thoroughly researched and compellingly interesting, the story of how the West's modern times favorite color emerged from the middle ages. Lively, vivid, a great & beautiful book.
YGG

If you are absolutely crazy over the color Blue as much as I am, that is being particularly supercharged,cutting-edge,thrill seeker,tuned in,tuned out,frenzied,hyperactive,eagle-eyed,intense,no pretense,pushy,out-spoken,well-spoken,multi-processing,multi-tasking,multi gigabit per second mental clock rate,obsessive,recessive,demanding,unforgiving and most of all perfectionist lover of Blue, Please for your own sake buy this book. For the price and for what it gives,true value for money,and makes your glass of wine taste much better when you sip it while reading this book.

Thank you for providing me so quickly with a volume difficult to find! The condition of the book was pristine, the contents worth waiting for!