Consisting of nearly 800 handwritten and carefully painted pages, Traité des couleurs servant à la peinture à l’eau, was created a full 271 years before the infamous Pantone Colour Guide. The artist known only as 'A.Boogert' created the volume in 1692, explaining how to create certain hues and change tones by adding one, two or three parts water. An incredibly detailed record of colour and its shades, the book was originally intended as an education guide. A fascinating document for any creative, the book is currently kept at the Bibliothèque Méjanes in Aix-en-Provence, France.

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