Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer. He was author of "The Sorrows of Young Werther" and "Faust".He not only was a author, he also interested in natural science.
Goethe was opposed to Newton's analytic treatment of color. He published "Theory of Colours" in 1810. Goethe characterized colour as arising from the dynamic interplay of darkness and light.
Although Goethe's work was rejected by physicists, I think Goethe observation is valuable.
I think light is only consist of three color, red, green and blue. And it is not consist of seven or more color or it is arising from the dynamic interplay of darkness and light.
I try to explain Goethe observation of color by this.
1. When Goethe look at a white wall through a prism, he only can see a white wall, can not see other color. If white wall has darken area, he can see other color.
Along with the rest of the world I was convinced that all the colors are contained in the light;
no one had ever told me anything different, and I had never found the least cause to doubt it,
because I had no further interest in the subject.
But how I was astonished, as I looked at a white wall through the prism, that it stayed white!
That only where it came upon some darkened area, it showed some color, then at last, around the window sill all the colors shone…
It didn’t take long before I knew here was something significant about color to be brought forth, and I spoke as through an instinct out loud,
that the Newtonian teachings were false. —Goethe
I try to explain why a white wall has darken area can see different color.
If you try to put a white paper strip on a dark paper and look at it through a prism. You should see something like below.
I explain this phenomenon is because red , green , blue light has different refractive index.
when a white paper strip reflect only red light.
when a white paper strip reflect only red and blue light.
when a white paper strip reflect red , green and blue light.
when goethe look at a white wall through a prism it still white because red , green , blue light after refraction is still in write area, so it is impossible to see other color.
2. Goethe produce a light spectrum on a white paper using prism. When goethe increase the distance between white paper and prism. He found that when blue and yellow overlap will show green color.
I have try the experiment Goethe have done, when the distance between white paper and prism increase, blue and yellow will come closer, when blue and yellow overlap will show green.
You can not say goethe observation is wrong, but I think why blue and yellow overlap will form green is because when white paper and prism has certain distance, green is not overlap with red and blue, green is appear.
when one beam of light through a prism
when two beam of different reflaction index light through a prim
when three beam of different reflaction index light through a prim
If apply this to the Goethe prism experiment. Below is the picture about white wall and prism in different distance the result will show and corresponding light through a prism position.
In conclusion, Goethe's work was rejected by physicists, but I think Goethe observation about light is not no value.