"Chroma" is a reflection on the diversity of color by the renowned British director and artist Derek Jarman (1942–1994). Written in 1993, a year before his death, the visually-impaired Jarman uses all the resources of writing to convey the complex and elusive aspects of a subject he has experienced throughout his life.

In his characteristic style—a lyrical blend of classical theory, anecdote, and poetry—Jarman guides the reader through the color spectrum, presenting each color as an embodiment of emotions, evoking memories and dreams. He explains the use of color in visual art—from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and modernists, and he references great color theorists—from Pliny the Elder to Leonardo. Jarman also writes about the significance of color in literature, science, philosophy, psychology, religion, and alchemy.