White: The History of a Color

Michel Pastoureau’s White: The History of a Color is the sixth and final volume in his History of a Color series. This PDF edition is available for instant download after purchase.

The book explores how white was once a true color in European societies. It shows how white later became linked to the idea of colorlessness.

Book Overview: White: The History of a Color

This work by historian Michel Pastoureau traces the color white from earliest times to the modern era. It covers vocabularies, pigments, clothing, religious rituals, art, emblems, and daily life. The translation by Jody Gladding was published by Princeton University Press in 2023.

The original French edition, titled Blanc: Histoire d’une Couleur, was published by Éditions du Seuil in 2022. The book belongs to art and cultural history, with a strong focus on European societies.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• How white was considered a color in its own right in antiquity and the Middle Ages.
• Why red was often the true opposite of white before the arrival of printing.
• The role of paper and printed books in associating white with colorlessness.
• The religious symbolism of white in Christianity, from Christ to the Virgin.
• The use of white in European monarchies, nobility, and heraldic colors.
• The vocabulary of white in European languages, including its many historical terms.
• The evolution of white in art, hygiene, dress, and modern life.

Why This Book Matters

White is the concluding volume of Pastoureau’s longstanding series on the history of colors. The series has examined the material, sensory, and symbolic dimensions of color in Western culture. This volume challenges the modern assumption that white is the absence of color.

Pastoureau draws on decades of research and seminars at the École Pratique des Hautes Études and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Readers encounter the construction of white through social codes, artistic choices, and religious values.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital PDF download. You will receive access after purchase, with no physical item shipped.

The file can be read on desktop computers, tablets, mobile devices, and compatible reading apps. Kindle apps and other PDF readers can display this digital edition.

FAQ

How soon can I access the book after purchase? Access is available immediately after purchase through your digital download.

Will a physical copy be shipped? No, this is a digital product only.

What devices are supported? The PDF works with Kindle apps, tablets, desktop, mobile, and standard PDF reading applications.