Theory of Colours

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Six part color circle, drawing by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

With his Theory of Colours, which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe presented extensively in his book "Zur Farbenlehre" (On the Theory of Colours) published in 1810, he created the basis for Goetheanism, which enables a scientifically exact observation of nature that differs from the conventional scientific approach in essential points. In the latter, the quantitative recording of natural phenomena is in the foreground. "Measure what is measurable and make measurable what is not measurable" has been the overriding principle here since Galileo. Goethe, on the other hand, strove for a systematic pure phenomenology of sensually experienceable phenomena. The qualitative element is in the foreground. The sensory qualities themselves, which in the conventional scientific method are completely excluded from the formation of scientific theories as ostensibly purely subjective phenomena, move with Goethe into the centre of scientific observation. In the preface "Zur Farbenlehre" (On the Theory of Colours), Goethe describes colors as the deeds and sufferings of light:

„Whether, in speaking of colours, one should not mention light first of all, is a quite natural question, to which, however, we only reply briefly and sincerely: since so much and so many things have already been said about light, it seems questionable to repeat what has already been said or to multiply what has often been repeated.

For in fact we undertake in vain to express the essence of a thing. We become aware of effects, and a complete history of these effects would at best comprise the essence of that thing. In vain do we endeavour to describe the character of a man; but put together his actions, his deeds, and a picture of character will meet us.

The colours are deeds of light, deeds and sufferings. In this sense, we can expect them to give us information about light. Colours and light stand in the most exact relation to each other, but we must think of both as belonging to the whole of nature: for it is nature in its entirety that thereby wishes to reveal itself especially to the sense of the eye.

In the same way, the whole of nature reveals itself to another sense. Close the eye, open the eye, sharpen the ear, and from the softest breath to the wildest noise, from the simplest sound to the highest harmony, from the fiercest passionate cry to the gentlest word of reason, it is only nature that speaks, revealing its existence, its power, its life and its relations, so that a blind man, to whom the infinitely visible is denied, can grasp in the audible an infinitely living thing.

Thus nature speaks downwards to other senses, to known, misunderstood, unknown senses; thus she speaks to herself and to us through a thousand appearances. To the attentive, she is nowhere dead nor mute; indeed, to the rigid body of the earth she has added a familiar, a metal in whose smallest parts we should become aware of that which is going on in the whole mass.“

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: On the Theory of Colours, Preface[1]

The sensual-moral effect of color

→ Main article: sensual-moral effect of color

Goethe's remarks on the Theory of Colours culminate in the chapter on the "sensual-moral effect of color". There he shows how every perception of color is accompanied by a quite characteristic, by no means accidental undertone of feeling, which is at first experienced only very subliminally, but can be brought more clearly into consciousness by increased attention. For this purpose, however, it must be separated from the purely personally conditioned and often much more prominent sympathy and antipathy that one feels for a certain color. This is best achieved when one exposes oneself to the pure color effect out of completely conscious willful decision and fades out all other, disturbing external and internal influences. Although this fine undertone of the externally perceived color can only be experienced subjectively inwardly by the observer, it nevertheless does not depend on his personal idiosyncrasy and in this respect has at the same time an objective character. Certain color combinations arouse quite specific mental effects. These are of decisive importance for the artistic handling of color.

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

Weblinks

References

  1. ↑ In the original German:

    „Ob man nicht, indem von den Farben gesprochen werden soll, vor allen Dingen des Lichtes zu erwähnen habe, ist eine ganz natürliche Frage, auf die wir jedoch nur kurz und aufrichtig erwidern: es scheine bedenklich, da bisher schon so viel und mancherlei von dem Lichte gesagt worden, das Gesagte zu wiederholen oder das oft Wiederholte zu vermehren.

    Denn eigentlich unternehmen wir umsonst, das Wesen eines Dinges auszudrücken. Wirkungen werden wir gewahr, und eine vollständige Geschichte dieser Wirkungen umfasste wohl allenfalls das Wesen jenes Dinges. Vergebens bemühen wir uns, den Charakter eines Menschen zu schildern; man stelle dagegen seine Handlungen, seine Taten zusammen, und ein Bild des Charakters wird uns entgegentreten.

    Die Farben sind Taten des Lichts, Taten und Leiden. In diesem Sinne können wir von denselben Aufschlüsse über das Licht erwarten. Farben und Licht stehen zwar untereinander in dem genausten Verhältnis, aber wir müssen uns beide als der ganzen Natur angehörig denken: denn sie ist es ganz, die sich dadurch dem Sinne des Auges besonders offenbaren will.

    Ebenso entdeckt sich die ganze Natur einem anderen Sinne. Man schließe das Auge, man öffne, man schärfe das Ohr, und vom leisesten Hauch bis zum wildesten Geräusch, vom einfachsten Klang bis zur höchsten Zusammenstimmung, von dem heftigsten leidenschaftlichen Schrei bis zum sanftesten Worte der Vernunft ist es nur die Natur, die spricht, ihr Dasein, ihre Kraft, ihr Leben und ihre Verhältnisse offenbart, so dass ein Blinder, dem das unendlich Sichtbare versagt ist, im Hörbaren ein unendlich Lebendiges fassen kann.

    So spricht die Natur hinabwärts zu andern Sinnen, zu bekannten, verkannten, unbekannten Sinnen; so spricht sie mit sich selbst und zu uns durch tausend Erscheinungen. Dem Aufmerksamen ist sie nirgends tot noch stumm; ja dem starren Erdkörper hat sie einen Vertrauten zugegeben, ein Metall, an dessen kleinsten Teilen wir dasjenige, was in der ganzen Masse vorgeht, gewahr werden sollten.“

    – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Zur Farbenlehre, Vorwort
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