A Perfect Red

A Perfect Red, by Amy Butler Greenfield, was an enjoyable tale of Spain's colonization of the Americas and the political and social climate of Renaissance and Early Modern Europe. Yet, as a commodity history, A Perfect Red is anything but perfect. Greenfield’s tale is intriguing, as I had never thought about the commoditization of color before. However, I was unclear to just what her subject of analysis was – is it the color red? Cochineal? Dyestuffs in general? Also, Greenfield seems to get lost throughout her own narrative, providing vibrant information on the conquest of the Americas, Cortes, the Spanish monarchy, with color and its production being virtually absent. In the other works we have read, I felt it was easier to discern the causes of change; A Perfect Red is so muddled that change is hard to pinpoint. Even when change is evident, Greenfield does not adequately place it into context or even provide thorough analysis.

            While Greenfield does flirt with supply and demand, I wish she would have provided more of an in-depth discussion of production and consumption. In particularly, indigenous cultivation of cochineal post conquest gets only a few passing mentions. Greenfield ties consumption of exquisite reds to power and status, but I wish she would have built more upon this point.

            My feelings toward this work are a bit similar to The True History of Chocolate; it provides an enjoyable narrative where the commodity (whatever it may in fact be) is devoid of any real personality and dynamism. Yet, Greenfield creates a great drama surrounding the color red and its production, rife with conflict, espionage, and deceit. I just wish Greenfield possessed a more focused argument. As engaging as the book was, it does not fit my definition of commodity history and I would avoid selecting this work for my course syllabus revision.