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 pure luck Chromatopia reveals the origin stories behind over fifty of historys most vivid colour pigments. Spanning the ancient world to modern leaps in technology this is the b