Chroma is a reflection on the diversity of color by the famous British director and artist Derek Jarman (1942-1994). In this book, written in 1993, a year before his death, Jarman, losing his sight, uses all the resources of writing in an attempt to convey the complexity and an elusive aspect of a subject about which he has accumulated a lifetime of experience. In his signature style—a lyrical blend of classical theory, anecdotalism, and poetry—Jarman guides the reader through the color spectrum, presenting each color as an embodiment of emotion, evoking memories and dreams. He explains the use of color in the visual arts - from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and the modernists, addresses great color theorists - from Pliny the Elder to Leonardo, and writes about the meaning of color in literature, science, philosophy, psychology, religion and alchemy.