Man has always been surrounded by colour on every side. Colours have had great influence on him since time immemorial. It is only recently that we have been able to produce and use colours as freely as we do today.
Before the 19th century, only limited number of dyes and pigments were known and these were of organic origin. They were also very expensive, so colourful fabrics and decorative materials were the prerogative of only the wealthy.
