Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
opponent phenomena and the prerequisite for all colour sensations. The
most primitive and least developed colours were thought to be white and
black. They were opponent and generated by light and dark, respectively.
At a more advanced stage of development, he assumed that yellow may
emerge when light is changed as a result of an interaction with dark,
while blue may arise when dark is changed by an interaction with light.
This development may proceed to higher levels. Thus, the yellow and
blue colours, which were also thought to be opponent phenomena, may
interact to generate a green colour. In fact, when the polarity between
the two is in equilibrium, only pure green is observed with no trace
of the yellow and blue components. Moreover, by gradually darkening
or condensing yellow or blue, each of them would change towards
red to such a degree that red eventually would dominate the colour
appearance. Finally, a mixture of red-yellow and red-blue in due propor-
tions would create the most highly developed colour - a pure red, which
Red
Purple
Orange
Blue
Yellow
Green
Fig. 4.1 Goethe's colour circle. The extremes of the diameter represent
opponent colours. Note that the opponent colour of blue is orange and the
opponent colour of yellow is purple.
