24 



A NOMENCLATIVE OP COLORS. 



with black and white, the two latter to represent the 

 elements of absorption and refraction of the sun's rays (or 

 darkness and light respectively). Such would really be 

 the case, and the manipulation of colors therefore a very 

 simple process, were we able to get pigments representing 

 absolutely pure primary colors. Unfortunately, however, 

 the artist's palette does not yet contain even one of them 

 in its requisite purity, neither do the black and white 

 pigments represent satisfactorily the elements of darkness 

 and light. Therefore, it becomes necessary, in order to 

 obtain certain desired results, to make a combination of 

 pigments different from that of the solar spectrum, as, 

 for example, the substitution of yellow for green. 1 



We may take hope, however, from the fact that many 

 important discoveries and improvements in the manu- 

 facture of artist's colors have been made in the past few 

 years, that the final surmounting of present difficulties 

 may be entirely within the possibilities of chemistry. 2 



having been accepted as a basis. Later investigations lead to the conclu- 

 sion that green must be substituted for yellow ; and a variety of reasons 

 might be cited, all of which speak unanimously in favor of assuming red, 

 green, and a blue which borders closely upon violet, to be the fundamental 

 colors." And again, on p. 138: "Yellow was formerly included among 

 the fundamental colors, from purely technical motives. This was simply 

 owing to the fact that green can be produced by mixing yellow and blue 

 pigments, while by the mixture of green and red only a very dark yellow, 

 that is to say, a brown, can be obtained." 



1 See preceding foot-note. 



2 Already colors approaching very minutely to the pure hues of the 

 spectrum have been discovered ; indeed, they are even manufactured, and 

 to some extent used. Unfortunately they are not permanent. The 

 aniline reds and purples ( " rose-Tyrien," "geranium-red," "solferino," 

 "magenta," "mauve," etc.) are of a purity and richness not approached 

 by the madder or cochineal tints, nor by any combination of these with 

 other colors. The " rose-carthame, " or " safflorroth," of Schoenfeld is 

 incomparably purer than the finest vermilions, madder-reds, or carmines, 

 and is perhaps as permanent as the last named, but fades after exposure to 



