The paint-laden palettes of fifty world-renowned artists are displayed alongside the works they created with those colours, and the tones and brushstrokes used are analysed to uncover surprising new stories about each artist and their work.

Presented in broad chronological order, this revealing book includes artists from the 17th century to the present day, such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Georgia O'Keeffe and Bridget Riley. Each palette - whether photographed or visible in self-portraits - is paired with one or more works by the artist that reflect the colours of the remaining painting on the palette. Colour expert and art historian Alexandra Loske deftly analyses each artist's chromatic palette and brushstrokes, revealing not only how they used colour in their work, but also the history of their relationship with colour and the influence of their approach on the culture to which they belonged.

For example, Georges Seurat meticulously arranged the paintings on his palette in prismatic order, isolating the colours and matching each with a spot of white paint. His pointillist technique was equally evident in both his palette and his canvas. Kerry James Marshall, meanwhile, uses flecks of zinc white and strokes of pale pink on the surfaces of large white palettes held by black artists in his portraits, raising provocative questions about the role of colour in black history and white Western art.

The Artist's Palette will appeal to both art history enthusiasts and a wider audience interested in learning about the great artists' use of colour, as well as to amateur painters seeking inspiration for the creation of their own work.

Publisher: Thames and Hudson