In this remarkable investigation British historian Patrick Baty tells the story of how the production and usage of decorative colour and paint came about in the past 300 years. Throughout the book we note how different colour combinations made sense to different epochs and became the standard for taste, including highlights on what made early notables pick specific colour schemes for their home decoration. Illustrated references to colour appellations, and categorisation of “the common”, “the expensive”, “the more expensive” and “the traditional” types of colour pigments succeed with presentations of the work of key colour theorists of each era. A comprehensive volume on the origins and appliances of colour and paint, this book is rich with references and visual stimulation, that would effortlessly appeal to both amateurs and specialists of colour.