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Page 17
But not only with taste has sight been known to work in harmony.
Many colours have been described as rough or sticky, others as
smooth and uniform, so that one feels inclined to stroke them
(e.g., dark ultramarine, chromic oxide green, and rose madder).
Equally the distinction between warm and cold colours belongs to
this connection. Some colours appear soft (rose madder), others
hard (cobalt green, blue-green oxide), so that even fresh from
the tube they seem to be dry.
The expression "scented colours" is frequently met with. And
finally the sound of colours is so definite that it would be hard
to find anyone who would try to express bright yellow in the bass
notes, or dark lake in the treble.
[Footnote: Much theory and practice have been devoted to this
question. People have sought to paint in counterpoint. Also
unmusical children have been successfully helped to play the
piano by quoting a parallel in colour (e.g., of flowers). On
these lines Frau A. Sacharjin-Unkowsky has worked for several
years and has evolved a method of "so describing sounds by
natural colours, and colours by natural sounds, that colour could
be heard and sound seen." The system has proved successful for
several years both in the inventor's own school and the
Conservatoire at St. Petersburg. Finally Scriabin, on more
spiritual lines, has paralleled sound and colours in a chart not
unlike that of Frau Unkowsky. In "Prometheus" he has given
convincing proof of his theories. (His chart appeared in "Musik,"
Moscow, 1911, No. 9.)]
[Footnote: The converse question, i.e. the colour of sound, was
touched upon by Mallarme and systematized by his disciple Rene
Ghil, whose book, Traite du Verbe, gives the rules for
"l'instrumentation verbale."--M.T.H.S.]
The explanation by association will not suffice us in many, and
the most important cases. Those who have heard of chromotherapy
will know that coloured light can exercise very definite
influences on the whole body. Attempts have been made with
different colours in the treatment of various nervous ailments.
They have shown that red light stimulates and excites the heart,
while blue light can cause temporary paralysis. But when the
experiments come to be tried on animals and even plants, the
association theory falls to the ground. So one is bound to admit
that the question is at present unexplored, but that colour can
exercise enormous influence over the body as a physical organism.
No more sufficient, in the psychic sphere, is the theory of
association. Generally speaking, colour is a power which directly
influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the
hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is
the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause
vibrations in the soul.
IT IS EVIDENT THEREFORE THAT COLOUR HARMONY MUST REST ONLY ON A
CORRESPONDING VIBRATION IN THE HUMAN SOUL; AND THIS IS ONE OF THE
GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE INNER NEED.
[Footnote: The phrase "inner need" (innere Notwendigkeit) means
primarily the impulse felt by the artist for spiritual
expression. Kandinsky is apt, however, to use the phrase
sometimes to mean not only the hunger for spiritual expression,
but also the actual expression itself.--M.T.H.S.]
VI. THE LANGUAGE OF FORM AND COLOUR
The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not mov'd with
concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and
spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his
affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted. Mark the
music. (The Merchant of Venice, Act v, Scene I.)
Musical sound acts directly on the soul and finds an echo there
because, though to varying extents, music is innate in man.
[Footnote: Cf. E. Jacques-Dalcroze in The Eurhythmics of Jacques-
Dalcroze. London, Constable.--M.T.H.S.]
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