Whether visiting a public building, shopping, or in private spaces - we encounter colors everywhere, applied to walls with varying degrees of thoughtfulness. Almost everyone has a natural sense of their impact and can recognize when they harmonize with one another. However, few are familiar with their history, development, and composition. "The Nature of Colors" explores the use of various paints over the last three centuries and provides a deeper understanding of how they were produced and used. With great expertise, color expert Patrick Baty presents a range of commercially available paints, their names, properties, and traditional uses. He illuminates the respective color systems and standards of the time and showcases contemporary photographs of various interiors from the 1660s to the 1960s.