196 THE PERCEPTION OF LIGHT AND COLOR. 



number of curves which perfectly explain the laws of color mixture, 

 especially that of complementary colors. 



Aside from its ingenuity, this theory presents a curious peculiarity 

 in giving an objective basis to the aesthetic affinity of colors and cer- 

 tain sounds, an affinity so definitely recognized in the German lan- 

 guage and by the majority of authorities on aesthetics. This affinity is, 

 however, in direct contradiction with physical phenomena, since colors 

 depend on the number of vibrations in a unit of time, and therefore 

 correspond to the pitch of a sound and not to its quality. We have 

 pointed out in a study on the relations between painting and music 1 

 how we had to recognize that the aesthetic imagination struggles against 

 this purely scientific objection, although we ourselves were disinclined, 

 for the above reasons, to admit the similarity of col >r in light and 

 timbre in sound. Right or wrong, it is a satisfaction to us to see that 

 this contradiction can be removed by supposing a transformation to be 

 effected in our organism, thus permitting the difference in colors to 

 rest (just as those of quality in sound) on a difference in the form of 

 the vibrations or undulations. However this may be, M. Charpentier 

 has endeavored since 1885, when he first formulated his theory of color 

 vision, to verify it by experiments which, however, only appear to have 

 had a bearing upon the question of retinal vibrations, on which subject 

 he has published numerous articles since 1890. A list of these is given 

 in his article in the Revue Generale des Sciences. 



It is to be hoped that he will not remain alone in the exploration of 

 this field, and that the German school will devote to it a little of the 

 zeal it devotes to the study of vision. 



In bringing this article, which is devoid of any personal pretensions, 

 to a close, we can but regret its insufficiency in every respect. Our 

 aim will, however, have been attained if we have succeeded in directing 

 the attention of the reader unfamiliar with the subject to the great 

 interest of the researches on the subject we have specially considered, 

 and on still others tending to modify greatly the science of physio- 

 logical optics. 



1 Revue Phiiosophique, August, 1885. 



