Colour

A non academic account of the history of colour that also utilises the travelogue. Unearths stories from the Australian outback, to ancient caves in China. "Packed with stories, anecdotes and adventures. A full rainbow ... as vivid as the colours themselves" "Express".

Victoria Finlay worked as a journalist in Hong Kong for eleven years, five of which were spent as arts editor for the South China Morning Post. Colour was her first book; since then she has also written Jewels: A Secret History, A Brilliant History of Color in Art, and Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World. She studied social anthropology and as well as travelling around the world in search of stories about her subjects, from pigments to jewels to art to fabric, has also worked for an international environment charity. She lives near Bath.

[Victoria Finlay's] curiosity is inexhaustible, her reading wide, and her writing style a delight -- Sunday Telegraph It's pure pleasure to join this gutsy arts reporter-cum-scholar on her quest for historical pigments and dyes around the world -- Independent A highly companionable guide, adventurous and romantic -- Independent on Sunday A treasure trove of human history and obsession...the breadth of research and insight is dazzling. -- The Glasgow Herald This is a rare and wonderful book - a model of erudition and charm, the writing elegant and precise, and with at least one new and fascinating revelation on every single page. I could not be more enthusiastic. -- Simon Winchester, author of THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN Packed with stories, anecdotes and adventures. A full rainbow ... as vivid as the colours themselves -- Express You get your money's worth and change to spare ... Both picaresque and picturesque, it's a rich read. -- Evening Standard It's hard to criticise her spirit of cultural exploration and easy to share her intelligent enthusiasm ...Packed with pertinent trivia ... informative and fun -- South China Morning Post An utterly unique and fascinating read -- Publishers Weekly Full of forgotten facts and beguiling anecdotes ... it would be hard to confront a painting ever again without seeing in it a kind of coded map of the world -- Telegraph An irresistible cornucopia ...Her travels are Marco Polish; her research vast but lightly worn. The whole book is an infectious delight. -- RTE Guide Packed with facts, fables and anecdotes ... Finlay's detailed and brilliantly researched account makes for a fascinating read -- Australian Interior Trends Victoria Finlay has unlocked the history of colour in this trawl through some little-known history -- Courier Mail ( Australia) A welcome reminder of the epic stories beneath the surface of everyday life -- Telegraph