The chromatic scale James Sowerby
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The chromatic scale
Chromatic scale of colours arranged as a chart. Sowerby's accompanying text provides a nomenclature for 63 colours divided into primaries of yellow, blue and red: with binary colours (blends of two primaries) and ternary colours (combinations of three primaries). Sowerby considered this might be useful to artists and considered that in primary colours "Gamboge is most perfect yellow, used in water colours...Carmine, most perfect when good...Prussian, or Berlin blue, most perfect." Plate 5 from the monograph A new elucidation of colours, original prismatic, and material; showing their coincidence in three primitives, yellow, red and blue..., by James Sowerby (London, Richard Taylor and Co., 1809). Inscribed "Tab.5" top right and "Oct.1.1807.Publish'd by Jas. Sowerby London."
Original: engraving. 1807
- Image reference: RS-10047
- The Royal Society
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More by the artist James Sowerby.
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