The Illusion of Colour

Colour is a concept that we often take for granted. We look at a red rose and call it red, yet the truth is more complex than our simple agreement on terminology. The colour we see is not an inherent property of the rose itself, but rather a phenomenon of light and perception. The experience of colour is subjective, shaped by context, lighting, and individual perception. Artists, understanding the limitations of language in conveying colour, turn to paint as a medium to capture and express the elusive nature of colour sensation.

When we perceive a red rose, what we are actually seeing is the way its petals absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. Our eyes receive these reflected wavelengths and our brains interpret them as “red.” This aligns with the trichromatic theory of colour vision, first proposed by Thomas Young and later developed by Hermann von Helmholtz, which explains how our eyes detect colour through three types of cone cells. However, this perception is highly dependent on external conditions. Under dim lighting, the same rose may appear dark maroon or even black. If placed beside another shade of red, its hue may shift in our perception, seeming either richer or duller by comparison. This relativity highlights the fact that colour is not a fixed property but a shifting experience influenced by surroundings and light.

Even if we all agree that a rose is red, we can never truly know if our individual perceptions of red are the same. The philosopher John Locke discussed this idea in his theory of primary and secondary qualities, arguing that colour exists only in the mind of the observer. Goethe, in his Theory of Colours, criticised Newton’s purely scientific approach to colour, emphasising instead the psychological and emotional effects it produces. The subjective nature of perception means that what one person sees as a bright crimson might appear slightly more orange or pink to someone else. Colourblind individuals, for instance, perceive colours differently, further challenging the idea of a universally shared colour experience. If our perception is so malleable, how can words alone ever hope to capture the complexity of colour?

This limitation of language is evident in the naming of colours themselves. Consider violets: they are called “violets,” yet they are described as blue. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, in his vivid nature imagery, grappled with the inadequacy of words to express sensory experience. The words we use to classify colours are imprecise, failing to encapsulate the full range of variations and perceptions. Poets and writers may attempt to describe colour through metaphor, but words often fall short of the sensory experience. This is where artists step in.

Artists use paint because words are inadequate for translating colour sensations. With pigment, they can manipulate hues, layering and mixing them to evoke emotions and create depth. The painter does not simply paint a red rose; they consider the way light falls upon it, the shadows that shape its petals, and the surrounding colours that alter our perception of its hue. Through careful use of colour, an artist can communicate subtleties that language cannot.

Ultimately, the question of whether a red rose is truly red reveals the fluid and subjective nature of colour perception. Light, context, and individual experience all shape the way we see and interpret colour. While words may struggle to capture the essence of a colour sensation, artists bridge the gap between perception and expression, using paint to convey what words cannot. Through their work, we are invited to see the world not as it is, but as it is experienced.