"David Coles has spent the entire life up to his elbows in this subject - he covers colour with beauty, depth and understanding. Anyone who has ever wondered about the origins of mummy brown, Tyrian purple or how manure makes the purest white need look no further." Narayan Khandejar, Director of the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, Harvard Art Museums Did you know that the Egyptians created the first synthetic colour; or that the noblest purple comes from a predatory sea snail? Throughout history, artist pigments have been made from deadly metals, poisonous minerals, urine, cow dung, and even crushed insects. From grinding down beetles and burning animal bones to alchemy and serendipity, Chromatopia reveals the origin stories of over 50 of history's most extraordinary pigments. Spanning the ancient world to modern leaps in technology, this book is for the artist, the history buff, the science lover or the design fanatic.
