--- product_id: 1360654 title: "Color: A Natural History of the Palette" price: "138.66 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/1360654-color-a-natural-history-of-the-palette store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # Color: A Natural History of the Palette **Price:** 138.66 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Color: A Natural History of the Palette - **How much does it cost?** 138.66 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/1360654-color-a-natural-history-of-the-palette) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description In this vivid and captivating journey through the colors of an artist’s palette, Victoria Finlay takes us on an enthralling adventure around the world and through the ages, illuminating how the colors we choose to value have determined the history of culture itself. How did the most precious color blue travel all the way from remote lapis mines in Afghanistan to Michelangelo’s brush? What is the connection between brown paint and ancient Egyptian mummies? Why did Robin Hood wear Lincoln green? In Color , Finlay explores the physical materials that color our world, such as precious minerals and insect blood, as well as the social and political meanings that color has carried through time. Roman emperors used to wear togas dyed with a purple color that was made from an odorous Lebanese shellfish–which probably meant their scent preceded them. In the eighteenth century, black dye was called logwood and grew along the Spanish Main. Some of the first indigo plantations were started in America, amazingly enough, by a seventeen-year-old girl named Eliza. And the popular van Gogh painting White Roses at Washington’s National Gallery had to be renamed after a researcher discovered that the flowers were originally done in a pink paint that had faded nearly a century ago. Color is full of extraordinary people, events, and anecdotes–painted all the more dazzling by Finlay’s engaging style. Embark upon a thrilling adventure with this intrepid journalist as she travels on a donkey along ancient silk trade routes; with the Phoenicians sailing the Mediterranean in search of a special purple shell that garners wealth, sustenance, and prestige; with modern Chilean farmers breeding and bleeding insects for their viscous red blood. The colors that craft our world have never looked so bright. Review: This book is a minor work of art - This is one of the most interesting & enjoyable books I've ever read. I bought my own copy at a local art-supply store. My wife read my copy & really loved it too. Subsequently, I bought two more copies of this book for gifts to family members, who are avid readers with wide-ranging interests. This book has a wealth of information about, well "color" that's technical, artistic, historic, and cultural. The author travelled the world (part of her job as a writer & reporter) to gather, firsthand, diverse & unique material for this book. Being a skilled writer, she puts everything together in a book that I'd consider to be a minor work of art. Review: A wonderful history of the artist's palette. - Excellent book. There is nothing else quite like it. It is a history of the palette, i.e. of when and where the colors used in art came from, and they all have fascinating stories behind them. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #102,531 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5 in Afghanistan Travel Guides #71 in Graphic Design Color Use #127 in Art History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 857 Reviews | ## Images ![Color: A Natural History of the Palette - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71EiDCoV9mL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is a minor work of art *by A***S on August 1, 2017* This is one of the most interesting & enjoyable books I've ever read. I bought my own copy at a local art-supply store. My wife read my copy & really loved it too. Subsequently, I bought two more copies of this book for gifts to family members, who are avid readers with wide-ranging interests. This book has a wealth of information about, well "color" that's technical, artistic, historic, and cultural. The author travelled the world (part of her job as a writer & reporter) to gather, firsthand, diverse & unique material for this book. Being a skilled writer, she puts everything together in a book that I'd consider to be a minor work of art. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A wonderful history of the artist's palette. *by B***N on October 10, 2025* Excellent book. There is nothing else quite like it. It is a history of the palette, i.e. of when and where the colors used in art came from, and they all have fascinating stories behind them. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lots of facts and observations in a relaxed presentation. *by C***S on March 20, 2006* In some ways, this little book is hard to explain. Finlay is an excellent writer and thus much of the book is her exotic travels to seek the source of exotic colors from around the world. However, she also explores the history of certain pigments, paints, dyes, and other products. She also gives very interesting details on the production of these pigments,some of which required considerable costs and effort. Finally she gives interesting information about the pigment or product itself, focusing on various chemical properties, such as whether or not it is a poison or is light fast. I enjoyed her early chapters on the production of paint, ranging all the way from ancient Roman encaustic painting, the hand ground pigments of the Renaissance, and the birth of more standardized paint products during the Industrial revolution. It is fitting that Finlay starts her discussion with ocre, the most common of the dirt colors, which has given us such a broad range of tones through the centuries. In her chapters on Black and Brown, we learn the origins of charcoal, pencil, and ink drawing instruements. In her chapter on White, we learn the terrible history of lead poisoing for those who wore White Lead makeup. In the chapter on Red we learn all about the cochineal beetle, that eats cactus, and has brilliant red blood - the color often called Carmen. We learn of other reds, such as Rose Madder, made from rose petals. Oranges may come from various plant sources and show up in varnish. We hear of brilliant yellows from the urine of cows fed mango leaves, or brilliant but poisonous greens - one of which is suspected of poisoning Napoleon with arsnic infused wallpaper. Finlay goes to Afganistan to seek lapis blue and has some interesting tales to tell about the Taliban. She ends with Indigo and Violet to complete the spectrum. Interesting reading, relaxed and tangential at times, but well researched and factual; every studio art and art history student should read it. ## Frequently Bought Together - Color: A Natural History of the Palette - Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World - The Brilliant History of Color in Art --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/1360654-color-a-natural-history-of-the-palette](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/1360654-color-a-natural-history-of-the-palette) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-08-04*