24 A NOMENCLATURE OF 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 
