UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA

ENUGU CAMPUS
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

An assignment on the definitions of color according to three

(3) Authorities on the subject and according to the assignment
author.

Prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course:

ARCT. 521 (Color in Architecture)

SUBMITTED BY:

VAL-NEBOH, U.F
REG NO: PG/MSC/19/89957

SUPERVISOR: MR. ONOH, S.C.

DATE: FEBRUARY, 2020

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 DEFINITIONS OF COLOR (3 AUTHORS)

A. SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S definition of color :

Excerpts of the manuscripts of the late Sir Isaac Newton (from the 16th
century) have been curated and even digitally replicated by a number of sources
and institutions, including the Library of the University of Cambridge. One of
such book/ manuscript excerpts in their possession is “Of Colors” which is
published on “The Newton Project” website. In the manuscript, Sir Isaac Newton
asserts a number of things, some of which allude to the definition of color.
Newton is therefore quoted thus:

“…color is a property intrinsic to light and the result of

objects interacting with (already-colored) light…” (The Newton
Project, 2003)

B. THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSUEM’S definition of color :

The J. Paul Getty Museum is a major art museum in California that

specializes in Western art. It is quoted as asserting that “Color is light
reflected off of objects” (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011). The museum
goes forward to assert that color has three main characteristics: hue (the name of
the color, such as red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and
intensity (how bright or dull it is).

C. ESAAK, SHELLEY’S definition of color :

Esaak Shelley is a practicing artist and certified Art historian from the
University of Michigan. He defines color as a
human
reaction/sensation, to a hue which comes about partly due to
the optic nerve, partly from education and exposure to color,

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 and perhaps in the largest part, partly due to the human
senses.

DEFINITION OF COLOR ( AUTHOR’S DEFINTION)

Having meditated on the above definitions of color and more, the author asserts thus:

that “color” is the visual characteristic of an object, perceived by the

human eye, as a result of the way and degree to which an object (partially
or selectively) transmits, reflects, absorbs or refracts the component hues
and wavelengths of (white) light incident on it.

References
Esaak, S., 2019. What Is the Definition of Color in Art?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-color-in-art-182429
[Accessed 9 February 2020].

The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011. Elements of Art. [Online]

Available at:
https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/formal_analysis.html
[Accessed 6 February 2020].

The Newton Project, 2003. 'Of Colours'. [Online]

Available at:
http://www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/view/texts/normalized/NATP00004
[Accessed 7 February 2020].