Colour Ordering Systems and Colour Collections: From Antiquity to the Modern Era

Colour is a powerful means of communication and plays a crucial role in various disciplines, from art and design to science and marketing. To work effectively with colour, professionals need systems that can describe and order colours accurately. Over the centuries, various colour ordering systems have been developed, from the simple linear scales of antiquity to the sophisticated three-dimensional models of today. In this article, we explore the evolution of colour ordering and colour collections, with special attention to the systematics of antiquity.

Linear Scales from Antiquity

The first attempts to order colour date back to antiquity. Aristotle (384-322 BC) was one of the first philosophers to propose a systematic approach to colour. He described colours as a continuum between light and dark, with white and black forming the extreme poles. According to Aristotle, colours such as yellow, red and blue lay somewhere between these poles, depending on their brightness and saturation.

Aristotle's linear scale was later refined by the Persian philosopher Avicenna (980-1037), who proposed two paths or families of colours. These ideas were further developed into multilinear systems with multiple colour paths, which attempted to better describe the complexity of colour.

Multilinear and Cyclical Systems

In 1611, the Finnish mathematician and monk Forsius presented a circular diagram to illustrate the various ancient systems. This diagram depicted the multilinear series as straight and curved lines extending between black and white.