The Philosophy of Colour

Why yellow is the most warm, noble and closest to the bright light; 
why Blue is that mix of excitement and serenity, so far that it evokes the shadows; 
and why Red is the exaltation of Yellow and Blue, the synthesis, 
the vanishing of the bright light into the shadows

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is what Goethe wrote to South American revolutionary Francisco de Miranda in a letter, referring to the flag of Colombia which has the same three colours as my jumpsuit in this look. Reading Goethe’s words gives my look another dimension and reveals the philosophy behind colours.

As a true colour enthusiast, thinking about the meaning of colours is one of my favourite topics to keep my brain cells busy on some calm evenings. A lot of interesting questions and hypothesis are linked if you allow yourself to open up your mind: What is colour actually? Let’s start with the fact that colours don’t have a physique, you can neither touch nor taste them. They only exist in dependence of light and change in different light situations while complete darkness makes them disappear as well.

Colours only emerge within our perception of objects, people and in nature, which leads to the question if they only exist in the eye of the beholder. To make the topic more complex we have to consider the fact that every observer experiences colour in a different way: The exact shade of red of my bag might be seen differently by every one of you. How would you describe it: Maybe as a bright red, a firefighter red, the perfect lipstick red? What feeling does it evoke in you: Is it warm, aggressive, female, powerful or dangerous? Maybe some of you are colourblind and experience it as a shade of green. 

How would an animal with its very different way of seeing colours perceive my bag? Dogs and cats see mostly in green and have an especially poor vision when it comes to red tones, for example, butterflies see colours we don’t perceive and vipers don’t even have eyes but “see” with feeling the heat of objects.

Let me finish with the ultimate question of the day: Imagine if we would live in a world of blind people or a world without light: Would colours just stop to exist without somebody capable of perceiving them? I am curious to hear your thoughts about this… 

My Outfit
Jumpsuit: Tufafii from Hanimanns, Jacket: 90s Moschino from Love at the Bus Stop,
Shoes: Love Moschino, Bag: Moschino A/W 2014, Sunglasses: Saint Laurent,
Brooch: Schmiley Mo, Bangle: Les Georgettes by Altesse, Belt: Vintage

Pictures: Marco Borromeo. This post contains sponsored products.