I doubt I need to list for you the many titles of the 18th cenÂtuÂry GerÂman savant and polyÂmath Johann WolfÂgang von Goethe, but allow me to add one or two that were new to me, at least: colÂor theÂoÂrist (or pheÂnomÂeÂnolÂoÂgist of colÂor) and progÂenÂiÂtor of abstract expresÂsionÂism. As a fasÂciÂnatÂing BookÂtryst post informs us, Goethe’s book on colÂor, Zur FarÂbenÂlehre (TheÂoÂry of ColÂors), writÂten in 1810, disÂputÂed the NewÂtonÂian view of the subÂject and forÂmuÂlatÂed a psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal and philoÂsophÂiÂcal account of the way we actuÂalÂly expeÂriÂence colÂor as a pheÂnomÂeÂnon. In his account, Goethe describes how he came by his views:
Along with the rest of the world, I was conÂvinced that all the colÂors are conÂtained in the light; no one had ever told me anyÂthing difÂferÂent, and I had nevÂer found the least cause to doubt it, because I had no furÂther interÂest in the subÂject.
But how I was astonÂished, as I looked at a white wall through the prism, that it stayed white! That only where it came upon some darkÂened area, it showed some colÂor, then at last, around the winÂdow sill all the colÂors shone… It didÂn’t take long before I knew here was someÂthing sigÂnifÂiÂcant about colÂor to be brought forth, and I spoke as through an instinct out loud, that the NewÂtonÂian teachÂings were false.
SchopenÂhauer would latÂer write that “[Goethe] delivÂered in full meaÂsure what was promised by the title of his excelÂlent work: data toward a theÂoÂry of colour. They are imporÂtant, comÂplete, and sigÂnifÂiÂcant data, rich mateÂrÂiÂal for a future theÂoÂry of colour.” It was a theÂoÂry, SchopenÂhauer admits, that does not “[furÂnish] us with a real explaÂnaÂtion of the essenÂtial nature of colour, but realÂly posÂtuÂlates it as a pheÂnomÂeÂnon, and mereÂly tells us how it origÂiÂnates, not what it is.”
AnothÂer latÂer philoÂsophÂiÂcal interÂpreter of Goethe, LudÂwig WittgenÂstein—a thinker greatÂly interÂestÂed in visuÂal perception—also saw Goethe’s work as operÂatÂing very difÂferÂentÂly than NewÂton’s optics—not as a sciÂenÂtifÂic theÂoÂry but rather as an intuÂitive schema. WittgenÂstein remarked that Goethe’s work “is realÂly not a theÂoÂry at all. NothÂing can be preÂdictÂed by means of it. It is, rather, a vague schematÂic outÂline, of the sort we find in [William] James’s psyÂcholÂoÂgy. There is no experÂiÂmenÂtum cruÂcis for Goethe’s theÂoÂry of colour.”
Yet a third latÂer GerÂman genius, WernÂer HeisenÂberg, comÂmentÂed on the influÂence of Zur FarÂbenÂlehre, writÂing that “Goethe’s colour theÂoÂry has in many ways borne fruit in art, physÂiÂolÂoÂgy and aesÂthetÂics. But vicÂtoÂry, and hence influÂence on the research of the folÂlowÂing cenÂtuÂry, has been NewÂton’s.”
I’m not fit to evalÂuÂate the relÂaÂtive merÂits of Goethe’s theÂoÂry, or lack thereÂof, verÂsus NewÂton’s rigÂorÂous work on optics. Whole books have been writÂten on the subÂject. But whatÂevÂer his intenÂtions, Goethe’s work has been well-received as a psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly accuÂrate account that has also, through his text and many illusÂtraÂtions you see here, had sigÂnifÂiÂcant influÂence on twenÂtiÂeth cenÂtuÂry painters also greatÂly conÂcerned with the psyÂcholÂoÂgy of colÂor, most notably WassÂiÂly KandinÂsky, who proÂduced his own “schematÂic outÂline” of the psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal effects of colÂor titled ConÂcernÂing the SpirÂiÂtuÂal in Art, a clasÂsic of modÂernist aesÂthetÂic theÂoÂry. As is usuÂalÂly the case with Goethe, the influÂence of this sinÂgle work is wider and deepÂer than he probÂaÂbly ever foreÂsaw.
You can find an affordÂable verÂsion of Goethe’s TheÂoÂry of ColÂors on AmaÂzon. Or find scans of the book at Archive.org.
Note: This post origÂiÂnalÂly appeared on our site in 2013. We have updatÂed the post with new images and links.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
A 900-Page Pre-PanÂtone Guide to ColÂor from 1692: A ComÂplete DigÂiÂtal Scan
An AniÂmatÂed IntroÂducÂtion to Goethe, Germany’s “RenaisÂsance Man”
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
