Sniffing snuff was the original method of taking tobacco, first used by the American Indians. Christopher Columbus noticed them sniffing a mysterious powder during his second voyage of discovery (1494-6) and brought the substance back to Europe. Snuff taking fast became the vogue among the Spanish and the French, although it only gained limited acceptance in England until Charles II brought the habit back from his exile in France.

Snuff was primarily the province of the aristocrat and the man of fashion, who looked down on the common man and his pipe. It was always particularly popular in court circles. Queen Anne so enjoyed snuff that all her ladies took up the habit. Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III, acquired the name 'snuffy Charlotte' because of her passion for it. Her son, George IV, changed his snuff according to the time of day and had a storage room set aside in each of his palaces. The man in the street was first introduced to the habit after the capture of a Spanish convoy in 1702. Among the booty was a large consignment of snuff, which was given to the sailors as part of their payment. They distributed it around the ports and coastal towns, where it quickly became popular. Mills were established in London, Bristol, Sheffield and Kendal, and soon snuff shops were sprouting up everywhere, with over 400 in London alone.

Chinese snuff bottle made of carved lacquer and jade, ca. 18th century

Until the 1900s, the volume of snuff produced far exceeded that of tobacco for smoking or chewing. Everyone took it - from poet Alexander Pope to naturalist Charles Darwin, actress Sarah Siddons to the Duke of Wellington. Lord Nelson took large quantities to sea with him, while Napoleon sniffed up over seven pounds a month. Physicians made great claims for it, prescribing snuff for headaches, insomnia, toothache, coughs and colds and recommending it as a measure against contagion.

Some of the many snuff boxes from the Napoleonic era at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Snuff is powered tobacco. Napoleon sniffed it.

Yesterday, in front of the town hall of Castellón

Christ as Saviour (1610-1614) by El Greco

The figure of Christ the Saviour, depicted giving a blessing full-face, reminds us of the Byzantine Christ Pantocrators of El Greco’s early years, painted with great skill in the foreground and captivating the viewer with their dematerialised and highly expressive faces. The figure is presented facing the front, in the style of the old icons, with his hand on the globe.

As in his paintings of the apostles, the artist here provides a free version of a common theme in Christian iconography since the mediaeval period. This can be interpreted in relation to private commissions of small works for private devotional purposes.

Technically, the figure of Christ the Saviour is one of the most highly finished works in the series, with fine, carefully detailed touches. It is the most finished and serene painting in the series, and is repeated in a much rougher form in the Apostolate in Toledo Cathedral, which suggests involvement by members of the workshop.

Countries that have changed their capital , Since 1900