L’harmonie des couleurs Pl.119
1880
Imagine a 19th-century designer's cheat sheet for making colors look good together! This 1880 educational plate by architect-decorator Édouard Guichard acts as a masterclass in color theory, specifically focusing on complementary pairs. At the bottom, you see vibrant opposites like blue and orange, red and green, and violet and yellow. The real magic happens in the large squares above: Guichard demonstrates that mixing these opposing colors in equal parts creates the sophisticated, muted olive and grey tones displayed. It is a fascinating glimpse into Victorian design education, proving that the secret to perfect neutrals has been known for over a century.
Views: 4