BRILLIANT HISTORY OF COLOUR IN ART (GETTY) (PB)

The history of art is inseparable from the history of colour. And what a fascinating story they tell together: one that brims with an all-star cast of characters, eye-opening details, and unexpected detours through the annals of human civilization and scientific discovery. Were it not for Cleopatra, for instance, purple might not have become the royal colour of the Western world. Without Napoleon, the black graphite pencil might never have found its way into the hands of Cezanne.