Green: The History of a Color

Pastoureau's engaging cultural history of the color green tackles art history and color theory, much like the author's previous books on Blue (2001) and Black (2008). With the look and feel of an artbook, this book holds equal amounts of substance of in the text. Pastoureau recalls green's "social, cultural and symbolic history in European societies, from Greek antiquity to the present." The chronological approach proves effective. The author begins by examining green in classical Greek sculptures and Roman mural paintings. The chapters on the Middle Ages and Age of Enlightenment focus more on the religious texts. Green is rarely mentioned in the Bible but when it is, Pastoureau notes, the color is nearly always about grass or vegetation, "never an object, fabric, or article of clothing." When something is "greenish," it is usually associated with death. His anecdotes are insightful, the references occasionally delightfully esoteric. Pastoureau gradually returns the conversation to the present-day, citing green's current associations with health, hygiene and the environment. In so doing, he gives this substantial discussion further contemporary relevance. (Aug.)