A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire

Description

"Elusive, expensive and invested with powerful symbolism, red cloth became the prize possession of the wealthy and well-born," Greenfield writes in her intricate, fully researched and stylishly written history of Europe's centuries-long clamor for cochineal, a dye capable of producing the "brightest, strongest red the Old World had ever seen." Discovered by Spanish conquistadors in Mexico in 1519, cochineal became one of Spain's top colonial commodities. Striving to maintain a trade monopoly, Spain fiercely guarded the secrets of cochineal cultivation in Mexico and only after centuries of speculation (was the red powder derived from plant or animal?) did 18th-century microscopes bring the mystery to light. Greenfield recounts the wild, clandestine attempts by adventurer naturalists to cultivate both the cochineal insect and its host plant, nopal, beyond their native Mexico, acts of folly driven by the desire for scientific fame and commercial profit. Greenfield's narrative culminates in the 19th-century discovery of synthetic dyes that, for a period, eclipsed cochineal. However, as she explains, owing to its safety, cochineal is back to stay as a cosmetics and food dye. Greenfield's absorbing account encompasses the history of European dyers' guilds, the use of pigments by artists such as Rembrandt and Turner, and the changing associations of the color red, from the luxurious robes of kings and cardinals to its latter-day incarnation as the garb of the "scarlet woman." 8 pages of color illus. not seen by PW.Agent, Tina Bennett.(May 2)

Disclaimer:
Contents of this page are indexed from the Internet. All actions are under your responsability. Email us to report illegal contents or external links and we'll remove them immediately.

Please check the description for download links if any or do a search to find alternative books.

Can't Download?
Please search mirrors if you can't find download links for "A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire" in "Description" and someone else may update the links. Check the comments when back to find any updates.

Search Mirrors
Maybe some mirror pages will be helpful, search this book at top of this page or click here to find more info.

1. Ebooks list page : 2584
2. [AudioBook] Secret Empire: Eisenhower, the CIA, and the Hidden Story of America's Space Espionage by Philip Taubman
3. The Race for Perfect: Inside the Quest to Design the Ultimate Portable Computer
4. The Race for Perfect: Inside the Quest to Design the Ultimate Portable Computer
5. [share_ebook] The Race for Perfect: Inside the Quest to Design the Ultimate Portable Computer
6. PERFECT A4 - Star Wars Ebook PDF - Episode V - The Empire Strike
7. Color Correction for Video, Second Edition: Using Desktop Tools to Perfect Your Image
8. Palm Beach Perfect Skin: The Quest for Ideal Skin Health & Beauty
9. Patterns and Palette Sourcebook: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
10. Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
11. Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Design
12. Pattern and Palette Sourcebook 2: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Color and Pattern in Desi
13. Quest MessageStats™ - Reporting and Analysis for Your Messaging Environment, Free Quest Software Inc. Trial
14. Quest MessageStats™ - Reporting and Analysis for Your Messaging Environment, Free Quest Software Inc. Trial
15. Quest MessageStats™ - Reporting and Analysis for Your Messaging Environment, Free Quest Software Inc. Trial
16. Quest MessageStats™ - Reporting and Analysis for Your Messaging Environment, Free Quest Software Inc. Trial