Asked by royalty to analyze why certain very expensive fabrics didn't meet expectations, a French chemist found that the dyes could not be blamed. M.E. Chevreul named the real culprit in a single paragraph-which he then expanded into a unified theory about every design discipline and, in 1839, the most ambitious and influential book ever written about color usage. Half a century later, On the Law of Simultaneous Contrast of Colors had become "the scientific foundation of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painting," according to Johannes Itten. "It is my Bible," said Winslow Homer. Vincent van Gogh called it "a luminous theory of colors," allowing "effects so violent that the human eye can scarcely stand to look at them." Chevreul explained how and why this occurred, but he then went on to discuss how it affects and can be exploited in any artistic context. Although this book is mostly noted for its impact on painting (and by extension, photography) it culminates with a chapter labeled Ten Principles for All Forms of Visual Art. He meant it, too: he prescribes design principles for tapestries, carpets, furniture, mosaics, churches, museums, apartments, formal gardens, theaters, maps, typography, framing, stained glass, and even military uniforms. Chevreul's basic ideas were clear but his explanations of how to implement them were convoluted even in the original French. The standard English edition, the only one available in print until now, has been condemned as plodding and misleading ever since it appeared in 1854. Today, this brilliant work reappears in a lucid form that goes far beyond a "translation." Color expert Dan Margulis has rewritten obscure parts, corrected errors, updated references, commented separately when needed, and added six chapters of his own. Technology stymied Chevreul's desire for extensive color graphics. Margulis has added them: photographs, line art, and reproductions of the works of those who swore by his ideas. And, he has used his digital expertise to explain what few critics have understood about how the painters were choosing their colors.

An experimental approach to the study and teaching of color is comprised of exercises in seeing color action and feeling color relatedness before arriving at color theory.

“A curator, a paintings conservator, a photographer, and a conservation scientist walk into a bar.” What happens next? In lively and accessible prose, color science expert Roy S. Berns helps the reader understand complex color-technology concepts and offers solutions to problems that occur when art is displayed, conserved, imaged, or reproduced. Berns writes for two types of audiences: museum professionals seeking explanations for common color-related issues and students in conservation, museum studies, and art history programs. The seven chapters in the book fall naturally into two sections: fundamentals, covering topics such as spectral measurements, metamerism, and color inconstancy; and applications, where artwork display, painting materials, and color reproduction are discussed. A unique feature of this book is the use of more than 200 images as its main medium of communication, employing color physics, color vision, and imaging science to produce visualizations throughout the pages. An annotated bibliography complements the main text with suggestions for further reading and more in-depth study of particular topics. Engaging, incisive, and absolutely critical for any scholar or student interested in color science, Color Science and the Visual Arts is sure to become a key reference for the entire field.