Colour in art

de Stefano Zuffi

Colour has many meanings. The historical and geographical context in which a colour is used determines its meaning, but cultural, religious or even linguistic influences can completely alter the perception of a colour. The red and black of the cave paintings in Lascaux and Altamira are the oldest colours to be used in art. In Van Eyck's 'Man with red turban' the same colours convey a sense of dignity and elegance. The blue in Jean Fouquet's cherubim alludes to the Virgin Mary and to heaven, whileYves Klein uses blue because is lacks dimension and is thus the pinnacle of abstraction. This book is about how artists and designers have handled colour over the centuries, what significance they attached to it, and how they composed their colours. 0.