On Color

David Scott Kastan, the George M. Bodman Professor of English at Yale University, is one of the general editors of the Arden Shakespeare. Stephen Farthing is an artist, an elected member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and an Emeritus Fellow of St. Edmund Hall, the University of Oxford.

“Sparkling and informative.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal (Holiday Gift Book selection)“A great addition to the collection of anyone who is, to some degree, passionate about color.”—Angelica Frey, Hyperallergic“[A] scholarly yet highly entertaining book.”—Natalie Angier, New York Times“On Color pays tribute to everyday visual wonders so often taken for granted, and enriches our perception by emphasizing just how strange the history of seeing in colour can be.” —Eric Bulson, Times Literary SupplementWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice“Here is a subtle and imaginative insight into the slippery phenomenon we call colour – and how variously we perceive and emblemise it: a wise and fascinating study.”—Colin Thubron"Like the best works of cultural criticism, On Color changes how we see the world. I mean that quite literally.  After reading this brilliant book, the mundane appears sharper, richer, and more meaningful."—James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare“This lively, erudite, and far-reaching introduction to the poetics of color combines anecdotal art history with cultural and literary studies to illustrate a fundamental truth: that color is relational as well as subjective. This entertaining and humane book effortlessly deepens our engagement with the visual world.”—David Salle“On Color is a deliciously readable, gloriously illumined work of meditation and exploration, written in high resolution.”—Jay Parini, author of The Last Station and Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal