Phaidon is releasing a new book all about colour and art. Written by author and art historian Stella Paul, Chromaphilia invites readers to consider the many ways that colour has been theorized and utilized to express meaning and emotion throughout different time-periods and cultures.

Each chapter of the book covers a specific colour (Red, Blue, Purple, Gold, Yellow, Green, White, Grey and Black), and offers insight, artwork and anecdotes you probably didn’t know. Like how Yves Klein’s obsession with a particular shade of blue led him to develop his own customized (and patented) paint. Or how many crushed bugs it used to take to make the coveted red dye used for royal garments. (The answer is 70,000!)

Check out more images from Chromaphilia below or grab yourself a copy when it’s released on March 13th. We also have one to give away! To snag the book, simply post a link to any Booooooom article in the comment section below and write 1 sentence about the artist’s use of colour.

The winner will be selected in two weeks!

Chromaphilia published by Phaidon