Wheels, Pyramids, and Spinning Tops: The Scientific Approach to Color

The exhibition opens Thursday, October 10, at 6:00 p.m., followed by a lecture at 7:00 p.m. by Dr. Jay Neitz, a color vision researcher at the University of Washington. The event is free and open to the public; however, please register for e-tickets to guarantee admittance.

What is your favorite color? This seemingly straightforward question is anything but simple. If a follower of Aristotle answered the question, they would choose one of five colors or light and dark. A proponent of Isaac Newton might select one of the seven colors of the rainbow. A contemporary web developer might choose from a palette of 256 colors and a fashion designer could select one of the 1,925 colors in a Pantone palette. Philosophers, scientists, manufacturers, and artists have struggled with the attempt to understand, categorize, capture, and standardize colors from ancient times to the present day. In fact, color is devoid of meaning without human perception.

The exhibition explores color from several vantage points. Published theories on color systems are represented by an amazing array of intricate diagrams and dazzling representations of color. Visitors will see Richard Waller's hand-colored, linear exploration of Isaac Newton's theory ("A Catalogue of Simple and Mixt Colours," Philosophical Transactions, 1686); Michel Chevreul's color wheels with their incremental increases of light and dark pigments (Exposé d'un Moyen de Définir et de Nommer les Couleur, 1861); Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's experiential color studies (Zur Farbenlehre, 1810); and Albert Munsell's color tree concept (A Color Notation, 1905) that demonstrated the attributes hue, chroma, and value.

The west alcove will provide a brief look at color science's early history. Once a subject of contemplation for philosophers and priests, color entered the realm of scientific investigation with the publication of Isaac Newtons first article "... Containing his New Theory about Light and Colours" (Philosophical Transactions, 1672). Arcane, early investigations will be illustrated using diagrams on color from Francis Aguilon (Opticorum, 1613) and Athanasius Kircher (Ars Magna Lucis et Umbræ, 1646), and Johan Scheuchzer's colorful representation of Noah's rainbow (Physica Sacra, 1731). Newton's early experiments, his later work (Opticks, 1704), as well as experiments by fellow investigators, will demonstrate the transition from philosophy to science.

In the east exhibition hall visitors will explore specific aspects of the experience of color firsthand. Concepts of color vision and color blindness are presented through the optical works of James Clerk Maxwell (Experiments on Colour, as Perceived by the Eye, 1855), Thomas Young ("On the Theory of Light and Colors," Philosophical Transactions, 1802), and Hermann Helmholtz (Handbuch der Physiologischen Optik, 1867). Visitors will have the opportunity to see Wilhelm Von Bezold's color experiments (Theory of Color, 1876). By spinning tops, experiencing color illusions, experimenting with different states of color vision, and exploring the interaction of colors, visitors will leave the exhibition with new insights on the line between the sensation and the science of color.

The exhibition is made possible through generous support from the Linda Hall Library Annual Fund.