M. A. ROSENSTIEHL, Traité de la couleur au point de vue physique, physiologique et esthétique. 2nd ed. Paris. Dunod, 1934, XVI, 247, 53 figs., 8 pl., Fr. 98

M. A. ROSENSTIEHL, Treatise on Color from the Perspective of Physics, Physiology, and Aesthetics, Containing an Exposition of the Current State of the Question of Color Harmony. 2nd ed., revised and supplemented by J. Bodeneau.

This book is a second edition of Rosenstiehl’s well-known work, first published in 1912, i.e. 22 years ago. In its time it was one of the best books on applied color science, containing a clear and detailed exposition of a number of classical works in this field (Lambert, Chevreul, Young, Maxwell).

Unfortunately, even then the book was striking in that it said not a word, for example, about the studies on spectral color mixing by Abney and König and Dieterici, which were more perfect and precise than Maxwell’s investigations and already then were of only historical interest. In the exposition of Young’s theory of color vision not a word was said about Helmholtz’s work in this field, etc.

All this has remained in the new edition as well. Moreover, reading this book, revised and supplemented by J. Bodeneau, one might think that, in general, color science had stopped developing 22 years ago: not a single work from the enormous number that appeared during this interval is mentioned in Bodeneau’s additions, which in fact amount to appending to the book a circle of 24 colors, quite similar to Ostwald’s circle, whose theory and works in the field of color science are not mentioned, however, even once.

Despite all these shortcomings, Rosenstiehl’s book, in addition to the above-mentioned detailed exposition of a number of classical investigations, is of great value for its detailed presentation of the works of Rosenstiehl himself, a thoughtful and cautious experimenter (for example, on the difference between complementary colors and colors of a consecutive contrast, on the change of hue when white is added, on the construction of an equal-saturation circle of colors, etc.).

And if it is approached precisely from this point of view, it deserves attention and must be taken into account by all specialists working in the field of color science.

Translating it into Russian makes no sense, since the number of color-science specialists in our Union for whom this book is needed and valuable, and who will be able to discern and use what is valuable in it, amounts to no more than a few dozen people.

The exposition of the doctrine of color harmony belongs, as, incidentally, do all other authors, to one of the weakest points of the book, which in this respect is inferior, for example, to N. D. Nyberg’s Course in Color Science (State Energy Publishing House, 1930).

N. T. Fedorov

Responsible editor E. V. Shtolsky. Technical editor A. V. Smirnova.

ONTI No. 22. Index T-60. Print run 3,900 + 50 separate impressions. Submitted for typesetting 8/II-35. Signed for printing 1/IV-35. Format of the paper 62×94. Author’s sheets 12. Printer’s sheets 55/8 + 1 insert. Printed characters per paper sheet 101,000. Order No. 213. Authorized by Glavlit B-15477. Released April 1935.

3rd printing house of ONTI named after Bukharin. Leningrad, Moiseenko St., 10.