Newton, Goethe and Itten: A Comparative Analysis - Advanced Level

Introduction

Isaac Newton, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Johannes Itten each made a lasting impact on the study of colour in their own way. Their approaches range from physical analyses to phenomenological descriptions and systematic colour theories. This article examines their respective contributions and the differences and similarities between their work.

Isaac Newton's Physical Approach

Isaac Newton's work in the 17th century laid the foundation for the physical approach to colour. Newton discovered that white light consists of a spectrum of colours, which can be split using a prism. He showed that colours are the result of different wavelengths of light, and his theory formed the basis for modern optics.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Phenomenological Approach

Goethe's "Zur Farbenlehre" (On the Theory of Colours), published in 1810, offers a contrast to Newton's work. Goethe criticised Newton's approach as too mechanistic and instead emphasised the subjective experience of colour. He described colour as an interaction between light and darkness, mediated by the human eye, and developed a colour wheel with six primary colours.