Companion to Color

A comprehensive exploration of color in art and art history, with insights from philosophy, psychology, material science, and cultural history

Color has long been central to artistic practice, yet its study spans disciplines from science to philosophy. A Companion to Color brings together thirty essays from leading scholars worldwide, offering a multi-faceted examination of color in art history. Situating color within a broader intellectual framework, this groundbreaking volume integrates perspectives from material science, psychology, philosophy, and cultural history to deepen our understanding of the role of color in artistic expression while highlighting its wider significance in human perception in a variety of contexts.

Structured into six thematic sections, the Companion covers a breadth of topics, from the global diversity of thinking about color, as examined in Chinese and Indigenous traditions, to scientific investigations of tetrachromacy and the psychology of color preference. Discussions of materiality explore how pigments and dyes shape artistic practice, while essays on naturalism and autonomy examine the role of color in movements such as Bauhaus and Color Field painting. The essays also consider the use of color in on architecture, fashion, and the art market, offering fresh insights into historical and contemporary applications.

• Examines color from diverse perspectives, combining art-historical analysis with scientific, cultural, and philosophical approaches
• Investigates materiality and technological advancements in color, including Technicolor and digital reproduction
• Addresses the intersection of color and commerce, including its impact on industrial design
• Includes discussions on color in architecture, film, magazines, and contemporary visual culture
• Offers extensive contextual framing, making it an essential resource for interdisciplinary research on color

A Companion to Color is an essential resource for students and scholars in art history, fine art, and visual culture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is also invaluable for museum and gallery professionals, curators, and educators seeking to deepen their understanding of color in artistic practice and cultural history.

JUDITH MOTTRAM is Professor of Visual Arts at Lancaster University. Her research focuses on color, drawing, and the intersections between creativity, research, and practice. Her writings have been widely published in journals and edited volumes, and she has a particular interest in how color is understood across disciplines.

PAUL SMITH is Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Warwick and an expert on color in nineteenth-century art. His publications include Seurat and the Avant-garde (1997) and Painting, Science, and the Perception of Coloured Shadows (2021). He has held fellowships at institutions such as the Getty Research Institute and has contributed to television and radio programmes on Impressionism and Delacroix.