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Published: 26th February 2016By the time Goethe's Theory of Colours appeared in 1810, the wavelength theory of light and color had been firmly established. To Goethe, the theory was the result of mistaking an incidental result for an elemental principle. Far from pretending to a knowledge of physics, he insisted that such knowledge was an actual hindrance to understanding. He based his conclusions exclusively upon exhaustive personal observation of the phenomena of color. Of his own theory, Goethe was supremely confident: "From the philosopher, we believe we merit thanks for having traced the phenomena of colours to their first sources, to the circumstances under which they appear and are, and beyond which no further explanation respecting them is possible." Goethe's scientific conclusions have, of course, long since been thoroughly demolished, but the intelligent reader of today may enjoy this work on quite different grounds: for the beauty and sweep of his conjectures regarding the connection between color and philosophical ideas; for an insight into early nineteenth-century beliefs and modes of thought; and for the flavor of life in Europe just after the American and French Revolutions. The work may also be read as an accurate guide to the study of color phenomena. Goethe's conclusions have been repudiated, but no one quarrels with his reporting of the facts to be observed. With simple objects--vessels, prisms, lenses, and the like--the reader will be led through a demonstration course not only in subjectively produced colors, but also in the observable physical phenomena of color. By closely following Goethe's explanations of the color phenomena, the reader may become so divorced from the wavelength theory--Goethe never even mentions it--that he may begin to think about color theory relatively unhampered by prejudice, ancient or modern.
"Can you lend me The Theory of Colours for a few weeks? It is an important work. His latest things are insipid." Ludwig van Beethoven , Conversation-book, 1820
| Introduction | p. v |
| Translator's Preface | p. xxvii |
| Preface to the First Edition of 1810 | p. xxxvii |
| Introduction | p. li |
| Physiological Colours | |
| Effects of Light and Darkness on the Eye | p. 2 |
| Effects of Black and White Objects on the Eye | p. 5 |
| Grey Surfaces and Objects | p. 14 |
| Dazzling Colourless Objects | p. 16 |
| Coloured Objects | p. 20 |
| Coloured Shadows | p. 29 |
| Faint Lights | p. 38 |
| Subjective Halos | p. 40 |
| Pathological Colours--Appendix | p. 45 |
| Physical Colours | |
| Dioptrical Colours | p. 59 |
| Dioptrical Colours of the First Class | p. 60 |
| Dioptrical Colours of the Second Class--Refraction | p. 74 |
| Subjective Experiments | p. 80 |
| Refraction without the Appearance of Colour | p. ib |
| Conditions of the Appearance of Colour | p. 81 |
| Conditions under which the Appearance of Colour increases | p. 86 |
| Explanation of the foregoing Phenomena | p. 90 |
| Decrease of the Appearance of Colour | p. 100 |
| Grey Objects Displayed by Refraction | p. 103 |
| Coloured Objects Displaced by Refraction | p. 106 |
| Achromatism and Hyperchromatism | p. 118 |
| Advantages of Subjective Experiments--Transition to the Objective | p. 123 |
| Objective Experiments | p. 125 |
| Refraction without the Appearance of Colour | p. 127 |
| Conditions of the Appearance of Colour | p. 128 |
| Conditions of the Increase of Colour | p. 134 |
| Explanation of the foregoing Phenomena | p. 139 |
| Decrease of the Appearance of Colour | p. 141 |
| Grey Objects | p. 142 |
| Coloured Objects | p. 143 |
| Achromatism and Hyperchromatism | |
| Combination of Subjective and Objective Experiments | p. 147 |
| Transition | p. 150 |
| Catoprical Colours | p. 154 |
| Paroptical Colours | p. 163 |
| Epoptical Colours | p. 177 |
| Chemical Colours | |
| Chemical Contrast | p. 202 |
| White | p. 203 |
| Black | p. 205 |
| First Excitation of Colour | p. 206 |
| Augmentation of Colour | p. 212 |
| Culmination | p. 214 |
| Fluctuation | p. 217 |
| Passage through the Whole Scale | p. 218 |
| Inversion | p. 220 |
| Fixation | p. 221 |
| Intermixture, Real | p. 223 |
| Intermixture, Apparent | p. 226 |
| Communication, Actual | p. 230 |
| Communication, Apparent | p. 235 |
| Extraction | p. 237 |
| Nomenclature | p. 242 |
| Minerals | p. 245 |
| Plants | p. 247 |
| Worms, Insects, Fishes | p. 252 |
| Birds | p. 259 |
| Mammalia and Human Beings | p. 262 |
| Physical and Chemical Effects of the Transmission of Light through Coloured Mediums | p. 266 |
| Chemical Effect in Dioptrical Achromatism | p. 270 |
| General Characteristics | |
| The Facility with which Colour appears | p. 274 |
| The Definite Nature of Colour | p. 276 |
| Combination of the Two Principles | p. 277 |
| Augmentation to Red | p. ib |
| Junction of the Two Augmented Extremes | p. 278 |
| Completeness the Result of Variety in Colour | p. 279 |
| Harmony of the Complete State | p. 280 |
| Facility with which Colour may be made to rend either to the plus or minus side | p. 281 |
| Evanescence of Colour | p. ib |
| Permanence of Colour | p. 282 |
| Relation to Other Pursuits | |
| Relation to Philosophy | p. 283 |
| Relation to Mathematics | p. 286 |
| Relation to the Technical Operations of the Dyer | p. 289 |
| Relation to Physiology and Pathology | p. 291 |
| Relation to Natural History | p. 292 |
| Relation to General Physics | p. 293 |
| Relation to the Theory of Music | p. 298 |
| Concluding Observations on Terminology | p. 300 |
| Effect of Colour with Reference to Moral Associations | |
| Yellow | p. 306 |
| Red-Yellow | p. 308 |
| Yellow-Red | p. 309 |
| Blue | p. 310 |
| Red-Blue | p. 312 |
| Blue-Red | p. 313 |
| Red | p. ib |
| Green | p. 316 |
| Completeness and Harmony | p. ib |
| Characteristic Combinations | p. 321 |
| Yellow and Blue | p. 322 |
| Yellow and Red | p. ib |
| Blue and Red | p. ib |
| Yellow-Red and Blue-Red | p. 323 |
| Combination Non-Characteristic | p. 324 |
| Relation of the Combinatons to Light and Dark | p. 325 |
| Considerations derived from the Evidence of Experience and History | p. 326 |
| Aesthetic Influence | p. 326 |
| Chiaro-Scuro | p. 331 |
| Tendency to Colour | p. 334 |
| Keeping | p. 335 |
| Colouring | p. 337 |
| Colour in General Nature | p. ib |
| Colour of Particular Objects | p. 338 |
| Characteristic Colouring | p. 339 |
| Harmonius Colouring | p. 341 |
| Genuine Tone | p. 342 |
| False Tone | p. ib |
| Weak Colouring | p. 343 |
| The Motley | p. 344 |
| Dread of Theory | p. ib |
| Ultimate Aim | p. 345 |
| Grounds | p. ib |
| Pigments | p. 348 |
| Allegorical, Symbolical, Mystical Application of Colour | p. 350 |
| Concluding Observations | p. 352 |
| Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780262570213
ISBN-10: 0262570211
Series: Theory of Colours
Audience:
Professional
For Ages: 18+ years old
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 423
Published: 1st June 1970
Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 19.8 x 13.2
x 3.3
Weight (kg): 0.52
