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Painting, Science, and the Perception of Coloured Shadows

‘The Most Beautiful Blue’
Brief Description
Many artists and scientists – including Buffon, Goethe, and Philipp Otto Runge – who observed the vividly coloured shadows that appear outdoors around dawn and dusk, or indoors when a candle burns under waning daylight, chose to describe their colours as beautiful. Paul Smith explains what... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$9399
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This multi-disciplinary book synthesises methodologies drawn from art history (close pictorial analysis), psychology and neuroscience (theories of colour constancy), history of science (the changing paradigms used to explain coloured shadows), and philosophy (theories of perception and aesthetic value from Wittgenstein and Merleau-Ponty).

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Many artists and scientists – including Buffon, Goethe, and Philipp Otto Runge – who observed the vividly coloured shadows that appear outdoors around dawn and dusk, or indoors when a candle burns under waning daylight, chose to describe their colours as beautiful.

Paul Smith explains what makes these ephemeral effects worthy of such appreciation – or how depictions of coloured shadows have genuine aesthetic and epistemological significance. This multidisciplinary book synthesises methodologies drawn from art history (close pictorial analysis), psychology and neuroscience (theories of colour constancy), history of science (the changing paradigms used to explain coloured shadows), and philosophy (theories of perception and aesthetic value drawn from Wittgenstein and Merleau-Ponty).

Painting, Science, and the Perception of Coloured Shadows will be of interest to scholars in art history, art theory, and the history of science and technology.

Series: Science and the Arts since 1750

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  • Painting, Science, and the Perception of Coloured Shadows
    Many artists and scientists – including Buffon, Goethe, and Philipp Otto Runge – who observed the vividly coloured shadows that appear outdoors around dawn and dusk, or indoors when a candle burns under waning daylight, chose to describe their colours as beautiful. Paul Smith explains what makes these ephemeral effects worthy of such appreciation – or how depictions of coloured...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780367716424

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 May 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Routledge

Illustration: 32 Halftones, color; 40 Halftones, black and white; 32 Illustrations, color; 40 Illustrations, black and white

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 174.0mm

Height: 246.0mm

Weight: 458g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Paul Smith is Professor of History of Art at the University of Warwick.

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