Henry Hopley White (author)
1859
"the Relations and Harmonies of Colour" by Henry Hopley White, Esq.

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The Relations and Harmonies of Colour
 
Blue Yellow Red pure simple colours'all
(By mixture unobtained) we Primaries call;
From these in various combinations blent,
All other colours trace their one descent.
Each mixed with each their powers combin'd diffuse
New colours forming Secondary hues :
Yellow with red makes Orange, with blue Green,
In blue, with red admix'd, is Purple seen.
Each of these hues, in Harmony we find,
When with its complementary combined;
Orange with blue, and green with red, agrees,
And purple tints, near yellows, always please.
These secondaries Tertiaries produce,
And Citrine Olive Russet introduce;
Thus green with orange blended forms citrine,
And olive comes from purple mixed with green;
Orange, with purple mix'd, will russet prove;
And, being subject to the rule above,
Harmonious with each tertiary we view
The complemental secondary hue:
Thus citrine olive russet harmonise
With purple orange green, their true allies.
These hues, by white diluted, Tints are made,
By black, are deepen'd into darkest Shade.
Pure or combin'd, the primaries all three,
To satisfy the eye, must present be;
If the support is wanting but of one,
In that proportion harmony is gone:
Should red be unsupported by due share
Of blue and yellow pure combin'd they are
In green which secondary, thus we see,
The harmonising medium of all three.
Yellow for light contrasts dark purple's hue,
Its complemental, form'd of red and blue.
Red most exciting is let Nature tell
How grateful is, and soothing, green's soft spell.
So blue retires beyond all colours cold,
While orange warm advancing you behold.
The union of two primaries forms a hue,
As perfect and decided as 'tis new;
But all the mixtures which all three befall
Tend to destroy and neutralise them all;
Nay, mix them three parts yellow five of red
And eight of blue then colours all are fled.
When primaries are not pure you'll surely see,
Their complementals change in due degree;
If red (with yellow) to a scarlet tend,
Some blue its complemental green will blend;
So if your red be crimson (blue with red),
Your green with yellow would be varied;
If yellow tends to orange, then you find
Purple (its complement) to blue inclin'd;
But if to blue it leans, then mark the change,
Nearer to red you see the purple range.
If blue partakes of red the orange then
To yellow tends; if yellowish you ken
The secondary orange glows with red.
Reader, farewell! My lesson now is said.
 
The lines are by Henry Hopley White, Esq., to whose courtesy we are indebted for permission to publish them. They were written to accompany the beautiful diagram illustrating the relations of colours, which, by Mr. White's permission, appeared as frontispiece to the first edition of this work. The lines and coloured diagram are now published on a separate sheet, by Mr. Newman, Soho Square, and will be found valuable for use in schools, and by all students of colour.
 
Included in page 21-23 of "The Principles and Practice of Harmonious Colouring, in Oil, Water, and Photographic Colours, especially as Applied to Photographs on Paper, Glass, and Silver-Plate" by an Artist Photographer (Second edition) This book was published in 1859 in London by W. Kent & Co., 51 & 52, Paternoster Row; and James Newman, 24, Soho Square, W.
 

 
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