When the Sea Was Not Blue

An intimate biography of the color that shapes the way we see the world

"Blue has always been my favorite color." From this simple statement, the author unfolds a fascinating exploration of blue—its history, its cultural significance, and its enduring appeal—blending cinema, history, literature, art, and captivating anecdotes.

Blue, the color that has conquered the Western world (with over 40% of people naming it as their favorite), has a history as intriguing as it is unexpected. While today we associate it with elegance and tranquility, this wasn’t always the case. The ancient Greeks, for instance, didn’t even acknowledge blue as a distinct color. In The Iliad, the sea wasn’t blue—nor was the sky. The book delves into this mystery, exploring how civilizations throughout history perceived, ignored, or revered the color.

From the deep ultramarine of Renaissance masterpieces to the uniforms of soldiers and revolutionaries, from the mystique of Yves Klein’s patented blue to the symbolism of blue in film and pop culture, this book unravels how blue transformed from an overlooked rarity into the most beloved color of modern society. It examines the role of blue in art, fashion, war, and politics, revealing how a once-dismissed shade became synonymous with power, emotion, and identity.

This is not a scientific treatise or a philosophical essay, nor merely a collection of historical curiosities or a travelogue— it is a captivating journey through time, an ode to the Blue Planet and its enigmatic protagonist.