Enlightened Romanticism: Mary Gartside’s colour theory in the age of Moses Harris, Goethe and George Field

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the work of Mary Gartside, a British female colour theorist, active in London between 1781 and 1808. She published three books between 1805 and 1808. In chronological and intellectual terms Gartside can cautiously be regarded an exemplary link between Moses Harris, who published a short but important theory of colour in the second half of the eighteenth century, and J.W. von Goethe’s highly influential Zur Farbenlehre, published in Germany in 1810. Gartside’s colour theory was published privately under the disguise of a traditional water colouring manual, illustrated with stunning abstract colour blots (see example above). Until well into the twentieth century, she remained the only woman known to have published a theory of colour. In contrast to Goethe and other colour theorists in the late 18th and early 19th century Gartside was less inclined to follow the anti-Newtonian attitudes of the Romantic movement

Mary Gartside: A female colour theorist in Georgian England

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the work of Mary Gartside, a British female flower painter, art teacher and colour theorist, active in London between 1781 and 1809. Gartside's colour theory was published privately in the guise of a traditional water colouring manual. Until well into the twentieth century, she remained the only woman known to have published a theory of colour. In chronological and intellectual terms Gartside can cautiously be regarded an exemplary link between Moses Harris and J.W. von Goethe. This paper takes a closer look at her colour theory in relation to earlier theorists she credits in her writing. It also suggests that certain elements of her theory may have pre-dated some of Goethe's ideas, thus being an indicator of changing attitudes to colour in the intellectual and artistic scene of Europe. Gartside's case is particularly interesting because it highlights gender issues with regard to publishing, self-promotion and the intellectual activity of women artists in the early nineteenth century

The decorative scheme of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton: George IV’s design ideas in the context of European colour theory, 1765 – 1845

This thesis investigates the use of colour in the interior decorations of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton. The building was created between 1785 and c.1823 by the Prince of Wales (1762 – 1830), later Prince Regent and George IV. The main aims of the thesis are firstly, to analyse the intense colour scheme of the building and set it in the historical context of colour theory and pigment production, and secondly, to establish to what extent personal tastes and fashion influenced these designs. Chapter 1 brings together nineteenth century descriptions of and reactions to the building from early guidebooks and visitors’ accounts, followed by brief outlines of restoration work carried out since 1850 and observations on how the building is experienced by visitors today. The aim of Chapter 2 is to provide an overview of colour theory and literature in Europe between c.1765 and c.1845, in order to highlight the cultural, social and scientific background to the use of colour in art and interior design. Chapter 3 outlines the role of key figures involved in the creation of the building. It first discusses the Prince’s tastes in art and considers to what extent he may have drawn inspiration from other members of the Royal Family and earlier Oriental buildings and interiors. The chapter then discusses the artists and designers John and Frederick Crace, Robert Jones and Humphry Repton. Chapter 4 describes the colour schemes and chromatic layout of the interior of the building in its various stages from the 1780 to the 1820s. The chapter includes a case study of the conspicuous and varied use of silver as a colour in the building, discussed in the context of the use of silver in other European interiors. Three appendices provide detailed information of colour terms found in contemporary account books, pigments identified in the Royal Pavilion so far, their historical context and where they are found in the interiors. The thesis thus analyses the multi-sensory experience of an interior in relation to new ideas about colour as a crucial element of interior design

[Review] Carol Mavor (2013) Blue mythologies: reflections on a colour / John Harvey (2013) The story of black

A review for the journal Visual Studies (Volume 29, Issue 2, 2014) of two books published in 2013 by Reaktion Books, which deal with the darker side of the colour spectrum: blue and black. The books reviewed are John Harvey's 'The Story of Black' and Carol Mavor's 'Blue Mythologies

Cuvilliés Amalienburg – Kühler Traum in Silber und Farbe

An essay on the use of colour and silvered ornament in the interiors of the Amalienburg, one of the most significant examples of eighteenth century silvered interiors in Europe. The Amalienburg is a Rococo hunting lodge in the grounds of Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, designed by François de Cuvilliés (1695 – 1768), with interiors by the stuccoist Johann Baptist Zimmermann (1680-1758) and the woodcarver Joachim Dietrich (1690–1753)

Trois femmes cherchent la quadrature du cercle chromatique vers 1800-1930 / Three women squaring the color circle between ca. 1800 and 1930

This essay provides a brief of overviews of women present in the history of colour literature in Europe and in the United States in the 19th and early 20th century, focusing on the aspects of book design and illustration. The three examples chosen for this piece are British writer and artist Mary Gartside (active 1760s to c.1808), US American educator Emily Noyes Vanderpoel (1842–1939) and German-Dutch-Jewish artist and art teacher Carry van Biema (1881–1942)

Turner, Goethe et les théoriciens de la couleur [Turner, Goethe and colour theorists]

A short essay that focuses on Turner's engagement with Goethe and other colour theorists of his age. It includes a brief analysis of two late Turner paintings that were inspired by Goethe's 'Theory of Colours'. This is one of two essays Alexandra Loske contributed to the catalogue of an exhibition on Turner and colour, curated by Ian Warrell in 2016. 'Turner et la Couleur' - Caumont Centre d'Art, Aix en Provence, France (4 May - 18 September 2016) and Turner Contemporary, Margate, UK (8 October 2016 - 8 Jan 2017)

Angelica Kauffman's Portrait of a Woman; Oriental or occidental otherness?

Alexandra Loske examines evidence for the authenticity and explores the identity of a neglected large-scale painting, presented to Hove Museum in 1937

Tate: colour: a visual history

This book tells the story of colour through the significant scientific discoveries and key artist’s works over 400 years. From Isaac Newton’s investigations through to Olafur Eliasson’s experiential creations, this stunning book documents the fascinating story of colour with an extraordinary collection of original colour material that includes charts, wheels, artists’ palettes, swatches and schemes. “In 1704, the scientist Isaac Newton published Opticks, the result of many years of researching light and colour. By splitting white light, Newton identified the visible range of colours, or the rainbow spectrum. In Opticks, he built a colour system around his findings, and he visualised this system in a circular shape, making it one of the first printed colour wheels. The influence of Newton and his followers, combined with the invention of many new pigments as well as watercolours in moist cake form, had made painting with colour an exciting occupation not just for serious artists but also for a much wider audience. The colour revolution had begun.