In the world of colour theory, Wilhelm Ostwald was an expert. Over a period of time, we produced a series of his colour boxes, which now reside in the archive. So, who was he and what was the Ostwald System about? ⁠ ⁠ Born in Latvia in 1853, Ostwald became a German chemist as well as a polymath, involved in philosophy, art, and politics. Fortunately for art theory, he was also a keen amateur painter with a passion for colour theory, and this led to the development of his own colour classification system. In 1916, Ostwald wrote Die Farbenfibel (The Colour Primer) which introduced a system devoted to the idea that relationships between colours should be organized. He believed that harmony is created by order, hence creating a series of systemised colour boxes.⁠ ⁠ The colour palette in the boxes sit in a circular pattern and are arranged according to Ostwald’s theories on colour harmony. Each set came with a white and black colour in the centre. Empty spaces were also allocated, for mixing adjacent colours – these create a visual bridge between the colours and follow his theory of balance. Furthermore, mixtures created with the neighbouring colours would produce beautiful hues. ⁠ ⁠ This was a great way to teach young artists about colour and how to make pleasing combinations that worked, rather than making those that would come out in a disappointingly muddy hue. ⁠ ⁠ Fun fact: in 1901 Albert Einstein applied to be a research assistant in Ostwald’s laboratory but was rejected. Ostwald later came to respect Einstein’s work and nominated him for the Nobel Prize in 1910 and 1913.⁠ ⁠ #WNArchiveFriday