SKU: 89847757029

Blue: The History of a Color

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Description

Blue: The History of a ColorA beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the color blue throughout the ages Blue has had a long and topsy turvy history in the Western world. The ancient Greeks scorned it as ugly and barbaric, but most Americans and Europeans now cite it as their favorite color. In this fascinating history, the renowned medievalist Michel Pastoureau traces the changing meanings of blue from its rare appearance in prehistoric art to its international

A beautifully illustrated visual and cultural history of the color blue throughout the ages

Blue has had a long and topsy-turvy history in the Western world. The ancient Greeks scorned it as ugly and barbaric, but most Americans and Europeans now cite it as their favorite color. In this fascinating history, the renowned medievalist Michel Pastoureau traces the changing meanings of blue from its rare appearance in prehistoric art to its international ubiquity today.

Any history of color is, above all, a social history. Pastoureau investigates how the ever-changing role of blue in society has been reflected in manuscripts, stained glass, heraldry, clothing, paintings, and popular culture. Beginning with the almost total absence of blue from ancient Western art and language, the story moves to medieval Europe. As people began to associate blue with the Virgin Mary, the color became a powerful element in church decoration and symbolism. Blue gained new favor as a royal color in the twelfth century and became a formidable political and military force during the French Revolution. As blue triumphed in the modern era, new shades were created and blue became the color of romance and the blues. Finally, Pastoureau follows blue into contemporary times, when military clothing gave way to the everyday uniform of blue jeans and blue became the universal and unifying color of the Earth as seen from space.

Beautifully illustrated, Blue tells the intriguing story of our favorite color and the cultures that have hated it, loved it, and made it essential to some of our greatest works of art.

-- "Choice"

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 03/20/2018
ISBN: 9780691181363
Pages: 216
Weight: 2.50lbs
Size: 9.70h x 9.40w x 1.00d
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SKU: 89847757029

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4.8 ★★★★★
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Karacm
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 1
DO NOT BUY.
Update: Amazon refunded me the price of the mattress as I can’t really send it back now that it isn’t compressed and we do not live anywhere near a UPS store. I reached out to the seller as it is listed as having a 5 year warranty. The seller has so far only initially offered me a 10% refund, so not honoring their warranty at all. I have refused this and asked for either a full replacement or a replacement section for the one that is defective. We will see if they stand by their warranty! The package came SO compressed that one of the foam inserts never recovered. We opened it according to instructions, let it sit for 72 hours, and edges of foam were all so stuck together they did not rise properly. I had to take every piece out of both covers, manually pull apart the edges, and then let it rise again. We tried everything to get the third insert to be like the others- put it in a warm environment, put it in the bathroom where there is some more damp air, and still isn’t like the other two. It feels different as well- softer than the other two pieces. It’s like it is a totally different foam. It doesn’t fill out the cover completely and it is consequently very uncomfortable and not useable as one whole section is softer and thinner than the rest. I would like to return it but not sure how now that it is not compressed. Would not buy this product again. Very frustrating.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2025
K
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Kristin
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Firm but not hard
Color: Grey, Size: 4inch-Tw"
I sleep on this on the floor about 50% of the time because it’s so much more comfortable than my actual mattress. It doesn’t leave me with back or hip pain, it doesn’t sink so you never feel the ground like with an air mattress. It folds up to store under my real bed or I can fold in into a chair if I need. I did have to use a hair dryer to fluff up a few of the corners because they were taking a long time after opening but that’s to be expected.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Jane
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 4
Good mattress for company
Color: White, Size: S06-Single
This mattress is great for when you have a crowd coming to visit. It's easy to move around and it's pretty comfortable. I took it camping and slept well. It's not great as a chair unless you lean the back against a wall. Single bed sheets fit on it nicely.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2026
E
Verified Purchase
Ethan
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
Very faint smell for two days, but did not disturb my sleep.
I am 120 lbs and this feels to me more of a medium firm foam. It is very comfortable for laying on my back, but it hurts my hips when I lay on my side for a while. The cover is nice and velvety, and looks to be sturdy. It had a slight smell for two nights, but very faint enough that I was able to sleep on it the day it was delivered. The smell never woke me up, as the smell was very faint. The foam expanded to full size all over within hours, and has no uneven places.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2025
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Michelle
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 3
MAYBE MOLDY
it’s a good little bed for if your ina pinch but it produces moisture whenever it’s in a cold room so it could attract mold eventually just a fair warning
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Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2026

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