The science of beauty, as developed in nature and applied in art

by David Ramsay Hay

Green-hue, from the union of yellow-hue and blue-hue.

Purple-hue, from the union of red-hue and blue-hue.

Each hue owes its characteristic distinction to the proportionate predominance or subordination of one or other of the three primary colours in its composition.

It follows, that in every hue of red, yellow and blue are subordinate; in every hue of yellow, red and blue are subordinate; and in every hue of blue, red and yellow are subordinate. In like manner, in every hue of green, red is subordinate; in every hue of orange, blue is subordinate; and in every hue of purple, yellow is subordinate.

By the union of two primary colours, in the production of a secondary colour, the nature of both primaries is altered; and as there are only three primary or simple colours in the scale, the two that are united harmonically in a compound colour, form the natural contrast to the remaining simple colour.

Notwithstanding all the variety that extends beyond the six positive colours, it may be said that there are only three proper contrasts of colour in nature, and that all others are simply modifications of these.

Pure red is the most perfect contrast to pure green; because it is characterised amongst the primary colours by warmth of tone, while amongst the secondary colours green is distinguished by coolness of tone, both being equally related to the primary elements of light and shade.

Pure yellow is the most perfect contrast to pure purple; because it is characterised amongst the primary colours as most allied to light, whilst pure purple is characterised amongst the secondaries as most allied to shade, both being equally neutral as to tone.

Pure blue is the most perfect contrast to pure orange; because it is characterised amongst the primary colours as not only the most allied to shade, but as being the coolest in tone, whilst pure orange is characterised amongst the secondaries as being the most allied to light and the warmest in tone. The same principle operates throughout all the modifications of these primary and secondary colours.

Such is the simple nature of contrast upon which the beauty of colouring mainly depends.