Goethe’s Colors

A visual catalogue of the colours mentioned in Goethe’s Theory of Colours from 1810

In a book about the psychology of colors, which colors are mentioned and when? This simple question was directed toward Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1810 book, Theory of Colours. Goethe was German statesman and writer who wrote about his views on how colors are perceived by humans. While mostly rejected by the scientific community, it was embraced by and influenced philosophers and artists.

Using the publicly available online version of the 1840 English translation from Project Gutenberg, every mention of color was highlighted and catalogued. Their usage ranged from the simplistic (“a large red image” and “again mixing with yellow”) to the more ornate (“such a hue equal in intensity to scarlet” and “golden rather than fiery”). These names were then grouped into nine common families of colors and assigned a color based on them: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, grey, and white.

Example of a passage with highlighted words — Excerpt from page 340

Color timeline

To create the visual and interactive catalog, colors were grouped by page to illustrate at a glance on which pages colors were mentioned and how often. Each square represents a page and each circle represents a color mentioned on that page. Pages with fewer colors are shown containing fewer larger circles and pages with more colors are shown containing many smaller circles.

12 colors mentioned
3 colors mentioned
0 colors mentioned

Click pages to see original text with the colors in context.

Front matter

Pg i Pg ii Pg iii Pg iv Pg v Pg vi Pg vii

Translator's Preface

Pg viii Pg ix Pg x Pg xi Pg xii Pg xiii Pg xiv Pg xv Pg xvi

Preface to the First Edition of 1810

Pg xvii Pg xviii Pg xix Pg xx Pg xxi Pg xxii Pg xxiii Pg xxiv Pg xxv Pg xxvi Pg xxvii Pg xxviii Pg xxix Pg xxx

Contents

Pg xxxiblackwhitegreygrey Pg xxxiigreywhiteblack Pg xxxiiired Pg xxxivyellowred-yellowyellow-redbluered-blueblue-redredgreenyellowblueyellowredblueredyellow-redblue-red Pg xxxv Pg xxxvi

Introduction

Pg xxxvii Pg xxxviii Pg xxxix Pg xl Pg xlired Pg xliiyellowbluegreenreddishblueyellowredyellow-redblue-red Pg xliiiredblueyellowgrey Pg xliv Pg xlv Pg xlvi Pg xlvii Pg xlviii Pg 1

Physiological Colours

Pg 2 Pg 3white Pg 4 Pg 5blackwhiteblackwhite Pg 6whiteblackblackwhiteblackblackblack Pg 7white Pg 8 Pg 9 Pg 10light grey Pg 11blacklight greygrey Pg 12grey Pg 13 Pg 14greygreywhitegreygreyblackgreywhite Pg 15greyblackwhitegrey Pg 16whiteyellowredredredblueblue Pg 17redblueblueredblue Pg 18light greygreenredyellowblueblackwhiteredgreen Pg 19redgreenredredgreenwhiteblack Pg 20redwhite Pg 21whitewhiteyellowpurpleorangeblueredgreen Pg 22blackscarletwhiteblacksea-greenwhitewhiteblack Pg 23red Pg 24blue-greengreenvivid blue Pg 25bluegreygreenredyellowwhitepurpleyellow Pg 26whiteyellowwhitepurpleredgreengreenreddishgreygreenreddishgreenredgreen Pg 27bright orangewhiteorangebluereddish-yellowgreygreenreddishgreenreddish Pg 28purplevioletyellowredblueorangeblueyellowredgreenblueyellowred Pg 29whiteblackgreywhitewhite Pg 30bluebluewhitereddish yellowbluewhitewhite Pg 31blueorange-yelloworange-yellowyellow-red Pg 32bluebluebluebluewhite Pg 33bluebluedark blueyellowishpale bluishblackpale violetwhite Pg 34yellowishvioletbluishbluevioletyellowishyellowishvioletblueyelloworange Pg 35redgreensea-greengreengreywhitewhitered-yellowblue Pg 36blackyellowblueblackredsea-greenredgreen Pg 37whitebluewarm yellowgreygreengreenred Pg 38whitewhitered Pg 39redderyellowpale yellowwhitebluegreenroseorangeyellowpurple bluereddishredness Pg 40whitelight yellowbluishwhitegreyishyellowred-yellowyellowreddishred Pg 41yellowyellow-red Pg 42yellow Pg 43yellowwhite Pg 44yellowredgreenishred Pg 45 Pg 46bluish-greywhiteblackgreywhitebrownishblackgreyreddishyellowred-yellowyellow-redyellowredred Pg 47whitebluebluelight blueroserosebluevioletgreendark orangered brown Pg 48rosebluebluerosegreenorangeorangegreenbluepure redrosebluevioletgreenpure redbluevioletyellowredorangegreen Pg 49rosegreenyellowbrown red Pg 50 Pg 51yellow-red Pg 52bright redwhiteredredred Pg 53redblood-redredblood-red Pg 54whiteredredyellowwhite Pg 55yellowblue Pg 56 Pg 57 Pg 58

Physical Colours

Pg 59 Pg 60 Pg 61whitewhiteyellowyellow-redruby Pg 62bluedeep bluevioletyellowyellow-redredbluewhite Pg 63yellowyellowredyellowruby-redredredyellowerblueblue Pg 64bluepale bluebluebluebluewhiteyellowishbluewhiteblue Pg 65blackyellowreddishblueblueyellow Pg 66redgreen Pg 67lightest yellowdeepest redbright bluewhitenessyellowblue Pg 68rubyblack-brownbluishnearly whiteyellowishred Pg 69blacklight bluelight bluedeepest black Pg 70blackbluelight bluebrownblackblackblue Pg 71 Pg 72 Pg 73redyelloworangeblueviolet Pg 74 Pg 75 Pg 76 Pg 77 Pg 78 Pg 79 Pg 80 Pg 81pure greybluewhite Pg 82blueyellowblackblackblackwhitewhiteblackwhiteyellowblueblueyellowwhite Pg 83reddishblackwhitewhitewhite Pg 84blueblue-redyellowyellow-redwhitewhitewhite Pg 85 Pg 86orangepurplereddishblueyellowblack Pg 87 Pg 88yellowyellow-redvioletblueyellowbluewhiteblackgreenyellow-redyellowgreenblueblue-redblackwhiteviolet Pg 89yellow-redblackwhitepure redblueblue-redredyellow-redyellowyellowbluegreenyellow-redgreenblue-redblueredyellowgrey Pg 90pure redorangevioletpurpur Pg 91 Pg 92white Pg 93blackwhite Pg 94 Pg 95grey Pg 96 Pg 97whiteblackgreyblackwhite Pg 98yellowblue Pg 99yellowyellow-redblueblackviolet Pg 100yellow-redbluegreenredblue-redyellow Pg 101yellow-redblueyellowblue-redgreenredblueyellow-redblue-redyellowyellow-redblueyellowblue-redwhiteblackblueyellow-redblue-redyellow Pg 102grey Pg 103greyblackwhitegreyblackwhitegreygreyblackwhiteblackwhite Pg 104greyblackwhitedark-greyblackwhitelight-greywhiteblackgreyblackwhiteblackgreywhiteblackwhitegreybluevioletredyellowdarker greygreyblackwhite Pg 105greyblackwhitegreygreyblackredyellowbluevioletgreywhitebluevioletredyellowgrey Pg 106blackwhitegreygreywhiteblackblackwhitegrey Pg 107blueblue-redyellowyellow-redredblueblack Pg 108redblackblueredbluedark-greyblackredvermilionyellowredredyellowbluedull reddull greenblueblueviolet Pg 109bluewarm redredvioletblackbluebluebluevioletredblue Pg 110reddeep indigoblueblueredredyellowdeep redyellowyellowblueredyellowgreenvioletlight blue Pg 111whiteblueblackwhiteredredblueredbluewhitebluevioletwhiteblue Pg 112redwhiteblueblueredbluewhiteblackwhiteblueredbluebluebluevioletblueblueredvioletredpeach-blossom Pg 113redbluewhiteblackredyellowwarm reddark blueblackwhiteblackwhitegreyblackwhite Pg 114redblueblackblackwhiteredyellowblackwhiteblueblackwhiteblackwhiteblackwhite Pg 115redredyellowredyellowwhiteredblueyellowdull greenredyellowreddark bluewhiteblackblue Pg 116yellowredbluevioletpeach-blossomredyellowgreenredyellowvioletredyellow Pg 117orangeyellowgreenblueviolet Pg 118grey Pg 119 Pg 120 Pg 121blackwhite Pg 122 Pg 123 Pg 124blackwhitegrey Pg 125 Pg 126 Pg 127 Pg 128 Pg 129white Pg 130yellowyellow-redwhite Pg 131blueblackblueblueyellowwhitereddishblack Pg 132 Pg 133violet Pg 134 Pg 135whitewhite Pg 136violetblueyellowyellow-red Pg 137greenred Pg 138violetyellow-redblueyellowredyellowblueyellow-redgreenviolet Pg 139 Pg 140 Pg 141blueyellowyellow-redgreenblue-redyellowblueyellowbluegreen Pg 142greygrey Pg 143 Pg 144 Pg 145violetblueyellowyellow-redblueviolet Pg 146yellowyellow-redgreenish Pg 147red Pg 148 Pg 149 Pg 150 Pg 151 Pg 152 Pg 153 Pg 154 Pg 155greenred Pg 156white Pg 157greenred Pg 158black Pg 159redgreenredblueyellowgreenredgreen Pg 160yellowredwhitegreyyellowred Pg 161white Pg 162 Pg 163 Pg 164 Pg 165 Pg 166 Pg 167 Pg 168whiteyellowyellowbluishblue Pg 169 Pg 170bluewhite Pg 171grey Pg 172 Pg 173 Pg 174greybright yellow-redlight-bluegrey Pg 175yellowbluewhiteblueyellowwhiteblackwhite Pg 176whitegrey Pg 177 Pg 178 Pg 179dark greysilver whiteyellowblueredsilver whiteredgreenwhitegreenredgreensilver whitegreenblueyellowyellowbluegreenred Pg 180 Pg 181blueyellowsilver whiteblueredblueyellowyellowredblueyellowyellowsilver white Pg 182greenredblueredyellow Pg 183silver white Pg 184 Pg 185 Pg 186 Pg 187bluered-yellowredgreen Pg 188yellowblueredpure redgreenyellowblue Pg 189 Pg 190blue Pg 191 Pg 192 Pg 193whitegreenred Pg 194yellowyellowredbluegreen Pg 195redyellowyellow Pg 196yellowredbright bluebluebluelight bluelight blueblue-redredyellow-redyellow Pg 197florido flavoflavum saturumrubescentemcyaneumgreyishgreyishyelloworange Pg 198whitebluishgreen Pg 199bright yellowredderruby-red Pg 200violetdark-bluelight-blue Pg 201

Chemical Colours

Pg 202yellowblueyellowyellow-redblueblue-red Pg 203white Pg 204whitewhitewhitewhitewhitewhite Pg 205whitewhiteblackblackwhiteblackgreyblackblackblack Pg 206blackyellowblackwhiteblackwhiteblackwhiteyellowblackblue Pg 207yellowwhitewhiteyellowyellowblackbluereddish-bluevioletdark topazburnt-red Pg 208 Pg 209pure whitepure whitepale blue-greypure yellowredbright redyellow golden Pg 210red Pg 211whiteblackwhiteyellowyellowwhiteyellowyellowblueprussian-blue Pg 212lightest yellowruby-redbluevioletwhitepure yellowredder Pg 213orangepure bluesky-bluevioletvioletreddishyellow Pg 214redredyellow-redprussian-bluereddishvioletyellowblueredrougereddishröthlichenredyellow Pg 215bluebright redyellowyellow-redbright redbright redruby Pg 216yellow-redvermilionbrightest yellow-redvermilionpure redyellowyellow-redhyacinth-redblue-redyellowbluered Pg 217red-bluered-bluered-yellow Pg 218scarletyellowredbluegreen Pg 219yellowgreenbluegreenbluegreenblueyellowyellowgreenyellowblackgreenblackblueyellowgreenishbluegreengreenblueyellowbluegreenyellowbluered Pg 220yellowgreenblueredgreengreenbright redgreen Pg 221reddishgreen Pg 222 Pg 223yellowblue Pg 224yellowblueredvioletorangegreen Pg 225greywhiteblackgreyyellowblueemerald greenpure redwhite Pg 226greygreyblackgreywhiteyellowbluegreenyellowblueyellowbluegreen Pg 227greybluelight yellowgreen Pg 228 Pg 229 Pg 230yellowwhiteorangepure redcarminevioletdeepest blueblackblueyellowgreen Pg 231yellowwhiteyellowwhiteblueblackprussian blueindigoblack Pg 232copperindigowhiteorangebright redspanish rougegreenblueblack Pg 233blackblackwhitewhite Pg 234whitewhitewhite Pg 235 Pg 236 Pg 237whitewhitepure whitewhiterwhite Pg 238yellow Pg 239 Pg 240 Pg 241 Pg 242 Pg 243yellowgelbblueredgreen Pg 244red-yellowyellow-redred-blueblue-redyellow-greengreen-yellowblue-greengreen-blueblackwhitegreybrownorangevioletpurpurred Pg 245 Pg 246 Pg 247whitewhiteyellow Pg 248greenwhite Pg 249greenwhiteyellowred-yellowbright redblueyellow-redvioletyellowbluegreenyellowish Pg 250yellowredyellowredpure redyellowredpure redbrownbluegreen Pg 251whiteyellowishgreenyellowishyellowgreenerblue-greenyellowblueyellowbrownpure yellowbrightest red Pg 252whitegreen Pg 253whitecoralyellow-redbright red Pg 254whiteredredyellowishgreenishblue Pg 255violetredderbright redpure redscarletyellowredbrighter red Pg 256violet Pg 257 Pg 258 Pg 259 Pg 260 Pg 261yellowredblueyellowyellowredbright-redyellow Pg 262whiteblackyellowyellow-redbrown Pg 263 Pg 264 Pg 265whitewhitereddishyellowishbrownish Pg 266 Pg 267yellowyellow-redblueblue-redblue Pg 268whiteredbluevioletyellowyellow-redvioletblueyellowyellow-red Pg 269whitegreyyellow-redblue-reddarker greyyellow-redlighter grey Pg 270 Pg 271 Pg 272 Pg 273

General Characteristics

Pg 274 Pg 275 Pg 276yellowblue Pg 277greenredblueyellowreddish Pg 278redyellow-redyellowyellow Pg 279pure redpurpurpure redvioletyellow-red Pg 280 Pg 281 Pg 282pure redpurpleviolet

Relation to Other Pursuits

Pg 283 Pg 284 Pg 285 Pg 286 Pg 287 Pg 288 Pg 289 Pg 290 Pg 291 Pg 292 Pg 293 Pg 294 Pg 295 Pg 296 Pg 297yellowblueredpure redgreen Pg 298 Pg 299 Pg 300 Pg 301 Pg 302 Pg 303 Pg 304 Pg 305

Effect of Colour with Reference to Moral Associations

Pg 306cramoisibleuyellowred-yelloworangeyellow-redyellowwhitebluegreenyellowwhite Pg 307yellowyellowyellowgrey Pg 308greenyellowyellowyellowred-yellowyellowreddishred-yellow Pg 309yellowred-yellowredyellowpale yellowyellowredyellow-redpure yellowred-yellowyellow-redred-yellowbright yellow-red Pg 310yellow-redyellow-redscarletgreybluered-blueblue-redblueyellowblue Pg 311blueblueblueblueblackpure blueblue Pg 312bluesea-greenred-blueyellowblueblueredred-yellowred-yellow Pg 313deep blue-redredredyellowbluepure redwhitepurpurpurpleblue Pg 314redyellowblue Pg 315redredscarletyellowscarletbluecrimson Pg 316cramoisicramoisigreenyellowbluegreengreen Pg 317 Pg 318yellowred-bluebluered-yellowredgreen Pg 319 Pg 320pure redyellow-redblue-red Pg 321 Pg 322yellowblueredgreenyellowredyellow-redblueredblue-red Pg 323yellow-redblue-redredblueyellowgreenblueyellowgreen Pg 324yellowyellow-redyellow-redredblueblue-redblue-redredyellowgreen Pg 325bluegreenblackwhiteredgreenblackwhite Pg 326yellow-red Pg 327bluegreengreen Pg 328yellowdark blueredrosesea-greenvioletdark-greenvioletlight yellowblueyellow-redpurpleorangeredcitron-yellow Pg 329whiteblackblack Pg 330 Pg 331 Pg 332 Pg 333 Pg 334blackwhiteblackblueyellowreddenedbrownblackwhite Pg 335yellow Pg 336 Pg 337blueyellowred Pg 338 Pg 339bluish Pg 340yellowyellow-redredvioletbluegreenbluevioletredyellowyellow-redgreen Pg 341 Pg 342 Pg 343yellowyellowgrey Pg 344 Pg 345 Pg 346blackishbrownishwhitewhite Pg 347blackred-brown Pg 348 Pg 349 Pg 350pure red Pg 351green Pg 352yellowblueredgreenred Pg 353 Pg 354 Pg 355 Pg 356 Pg 357whiteblack Pg 358bright redwhitest Pg 359whiteblackgreenishwhiteblackwhitelight greenishreddishblackscarletpearly greygreen-bluescarletwhitenearly whiteredblackgreen Pg 360blackwhiteblackwhiteblackwhitewhitenessflesh-colourblackgoldenredbluebright redflesh-colourwhiteflesh-colourwhiteflesh Pg 361white Pg 362greyorangeyellow-greenroseblueorangedark purpleblackdark-greenwhiteblackwhiteflesh-colourwhitewhitewhitewhitenessnerobiancobianco Pg 363bluewarm yellowblue Pg 364 Pg 365 Pg 366 Pg 367redness Pg 368 Pg 369 Pg 370 Pg 371 Pg 372whiteflesh-colourredredpale white flesh-colourbrownbiancoredfleshwhiteredwhite Pg 373greenredblue Pg 374 Pg 375whiteyellowreddishbluedeep yellowwhiteblue Pg 376bluelight bluedeep violetyellowpalest yellowdark ruby redquiet blueruby-red Pg 377bluish Pg 378whitewhite Pg 379bluedeeper blueblueblue Pg 380 Pg 381redwhite Pg 382whiterwhitenessredredblueblackbluebrownishreddeningwhite Pg 383whitestbluebluewhitebluebluewhite Pg 384whitewhiteredgreen Pg 385blackwhiteblack Pg 386blueblackwhite Pg 387whiteredwhiteblackwhiteblack Pg 388whiteblackyelloworangeredvioletbluegreenyellowbluewhiteblackwhiteblackyelloworangeredvioletbluewhiteblackwhitewhitewhite Pg 389redpurpleblackredredderrubracerussâwhiteκυανονοειδὴςbluebluebiancobianconerobianconerobrownblackyellowwhiteredpurplegreenbluewhiteblackblackwhitewhitegreygreyblueyellow Pg 390blueredlight-blueyellow-redredvioletbluevioletredyellow-redvioletyellow-redbluevioletdark-blueblack Pg 391 Pg 392biondo argentinobiondorosso di ramebiondo d'orobiondo accesoocria violacearosso violaceoviolettogiallo accesoindacogiallo-rancioblu caricorancioblurancio-rossiccioblu chiarorancio-rossocelesterosso-rancioceleste giallognololacca-ranciagiallo chiarissimogiallo Pg 393lacca-purpureaverde-giallolacca-turchinicciaverde-rancioporpora-verdognolarancio-verdeverderancio-roseoverde giallognololacca-rosealacca-violaceaverde-giallo rossiccioviolaceo-verdognololacca-roseaverdeverde-giallobluegreengreengreenredgreen Pg 394blueyellowblackbluewhitered Pg 395blackblackwhiteblack Pg 396whitewhiteblackgrey Pg 397whiteblackwhiteblackblackblack Pg 398blackbluegreyishblackcrimsonorangeblackbrownblackblacknessorangeblacksubdued orangeblackblack Pg 399bianchezzaneroblackgreyblackgrey Pg 400 Pg 401 Pg 402 Pg 403white Pg 404 Pg 405 Pg 406 Pg 407 Pg 408 Pg 409vegetable green Pg 410blackwhiteblackwhiteblack Pg 411yellowredbluebluegreenredredyellowbluepure redpurpurwarm redbluescarletvioletyellowreddenredredyellow Pg 412 Pg 413vermilioncoralwhiteblackred Pg 414 Pg 415 Pg 416yellowyellowyellowwhiteyellowredblackwhiteblack Pg 417whitewhitest Pg 418 Pg 419light-greenlight-purplewhite Pg 420 Pg 421white Pg 422whitewhitepure whitewhite Pg 423

Color names

Of the 95,000+ words spanning 471 pages, there were only 1,851 mentions of colors by name (e.g. “red” or “yellow,”) and only 191 unique names used to reference these colors (e.g. “rose” or “yellow-green”). Since Goethe did not provide visual examples of each, some creative license was taken to devise a palette. Robert Ridgway’s, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature from 1912 was used as a basis for this palette by aligning Goethe’s descriptions to Ridgway’s names wherever possible. A handful of names were not translated from the original German text and remained in either German, Italian, or Latin. Google Translate was used to approximate a best guess for the English equivalent.

Click color groups to see how often each name was used. Drag/pinch to zoom in.

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Wall poster of Goethe’s Colors

Published January 12, 2020

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