Michel‐Eugène Chevreul: From laws and principles to the production of colour plates

Michel‐Eugène Chevreul (1786–1889) did major scientific work in the fields of chemistry and colour and pioneered the study of simultaneous contrast. His book De la loi du contraste simultané des couleurs ( The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colours ) was published in 1839. Here, his studies pertained to simultaneous contrast, when two or more colours seen contiguously are influenced in brightness and/or in hue, and on successive contrast, when afterimages modify colour perception. He also investigated the mixed contrast that appeared in tapestries in which a mixture of colours was obtained by the plying of yarn or by hatching. Later, he reported on the influence exerted on vision by coloured objects in circular motion around an axis perpendicular to their plane (1879). Many examples and numerous experimental checks documented in his books supported his demonstration of contrast. Of particular interest are the colour plates attached to the books. Another significant work by Chevreul was a three‐dimensional colour classification system (1864), after which he manufactured a colour atlas showing colour circles and monochrome lightness scales. Data are presented from recent measurements of Chevreul's atlas circles and plates, and there is a discussion of his choice of complementary colours. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 27, 4–14, 2002