Munsell’s Colour System

This comprehensive guide to colour science presents A. H. Munsell’s foundational texts on colour theory and practice in a true celebration of both art and science.

Albert Henry Munsell was a pioneer of colour theory. His Colour Notation established theories for categorising colour around three dimensions: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (purity). These elements were proposed to produce any particular colour or differentiate between those of the same character. First published in 1905, Munsell’s innovative theory offered insights into colour harmony, relationships, and the psychological impact of colours. It spurred significant advancements in colour science, art, and design, standing as a cornerstone text alongside those published by Michel Chevreul and Ogden Rood.

This new edition from Art Meets Science combines Munsell’s seminal A Colour Notation with all fifteen full-colour plates from Atlas of the Munsell Color System, an introduction by Munsell, and an essay on colour by Bonnie E. Snow. An essential colour manual for those studying colour theory or with an interest in colour application, colour behaviours, and the history of colour theory.

Reviews:

‘The object of this work has been to present, in a clear, logical, and if possible attractive form, the fundamental facts connected with our perception of colour, so far as they are at present known, or concern the general or artistic reader.’—Ogden Rood, 1879

‘The book is full of telling illustrations gathered by a close observer of mountains, clouds, and sky, of foreground and distance, and of light and shade. The point of view is as often that of the painter as it is that of the physicist. This rare combination gives it a unique interest alike to the artist and the student of science.’—National Academy Of Sciences, 1909

‘The only way to obtain an accurate knowledge of colour harmony.’—The Catholic School Journal, 1914