On the Law of Simultaneous Contrast of Colors

by Michel Eugène Chevreul, Dan Margulis

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1857 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. On the Juxtaposition of Coloured Surfaces with White. 44. When white bodies are viewed simultaneously with coloured bodies contiguous to them, they are sensibly modified. I confess that the modification is too feeble to be determined with absolute certainty while we are ignorant of the law of contrast; but, understanding that, and knowing the modifications that white undergoes in connexion with certain colours, we shall not fail to recognise this modification in special cases, provided the colours opposed to the white be not too deep. Eed and White. 45. Green, complementary to Eed, being added to White, the Eed appears more brilliant and deeper. Orange and White. 46. Blue, complementary to Orange, being added to White, the Orange appears more brilliant and deeper. Greenish-Yellow and White. 47. Violet, complementary to Greenish-yellow, being added to White, the Yellow appears more brilliant and deeper. Green and White. 48. Eed, complementary to Green, being added to White, the Green appears more brilliant and deeper. Blue and White. 49. Orange, complementary to Blue, being added to White, the Blue appears more brilliant and deeper. Indigo and White. 50. Yellowish-orange, complementary to Indigo, being added to White, the Indigo appears more brilliant and deeper. Violet and White. 51. Yellowish-green, complementary to Violet, being added to White, the Violet appears more brilliant and deeper. Mack and White. 52. Black and white, which may be considered in some respects complementary to each other, become, conformably to the law of contrast of tone, more different than when s...

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1889

About the author

Michel Eugène Chevreul (31 August 1786 – 9 April 1889) was a French chemist whose work with fatty acids led to early applications in the fields of art and science. He is credited with the discovery of margaric acid, creatine, and designing an early form of soap made from animal fats and salt. He lived to 102 and was a pioneer in the field of gerontology. He is also one of the 72 people whose names are inscribed on the Eiffel Tower; of those 72 scientists and engineers, Chevreul was one of only two who were still alive when Gustave Eiffel planted the French Tricolor on the top of the tower on 31 March 1889 (the other being Hippolyte Fizeau) and was the last living individual born before the French Revolution.