Theory of Color

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) — a great German poet, philosopher, and naturalist; the breadth of his interests, depth of knowledge, and originality of thought are astounding. We present to readers his "Theory of Color" (in abridged form). In it, the author, polemicizing with Isaac Newton's observations, actually considers color in a completely different way: not from the perspective of physics (the optical spectrum studied by Newton); no, Goethe is interested in the peculiarities of human perception of color, as well as various natural phenomena that influence this perception. Goethe's observations lie more in the realm of physiology and psychology of people and have not lost their value to this day.