A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated history of the paints and colours used in three centuries of interior decoration.

The definitive book on the use of colour and paint in interior decoration over three hundred years, The Anatomy of Colour will appeal to restorers and renovators, amateurs and professionals, decorating enthusiasts and all those interested in interior design.

Drawing on his extensive specialist archive, Patrick Baty traces the evolution of paint pigments and colours, along with colour systems and standards, and examines their impact on the colour palettes used in interiors from the 1660s to the 1960s.

First, it explores the creation of common and expensive colours made from traditional earth pigments between 1650 and 1799. He then examines the emergence of colour systems and standards and their influence on paints, as well as the impact of industrialised production on the texture and durability of paints. Finally, Baty focuses on 20th-century colour standards, including those originally developed for the identification of flowers, such as the Répertoire de Couleurs des Fleurs, des Feuillages et des Fruits, as well as various versions of the British Colour Standard colour charts, Walpamur's paint sample charts and Parson's Tint Book of Historical Colours.

Throughout the book, reproductions of interiors highlight the distinctive colour trends and particular painting styles of each period and room type, accompanying detailed analysis of the history of colour and the development and use of paint in interior design.

Publisher: Thames and Hudson