L’harmonie des couleurs Pl.082
1880
Imagine trying to pick the perfect fabric for a Victorian interior in 1880 Paris; that's exactly what Édouard Guichard was helping people do with this striking color chart. Titled 'Harmony of Contrast of Shades,' it features a bold, electric blue stripe sandwiched between moody olive greens, deep browns, and stark black, looking surprisingly like a modern abstract painting by Mark Rothko a century early. However, this isn't just art for art's sake—it's a practical guide for designers, explaining at the bottom how to combine opposing shades that still harmonize when assembling different fabrics. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the scientific side of aesthetics, showing how 19th-century creators mapped out color relationships long before we had digital color pickers.
- Technique
- Chromolithograph
- Material
- Paper