Henry Lyman Saÿen - St. Germain des Pres 1912
An inventive scientist and pioneering artist, H. Lyman Saÿen was one of the earliest Americans to adopt the principles of Fauvism, and one of the most committed. He was captivated by the possibilities of color, by its ability not simply to represent emotions, but to embody them completely. Ever the scientist, he developed theories of color vision, believing that individual’s perception of colors depended on the context in which they were viewed; paired with various hues, colors will register differently to the eye. To demonstrate this theory, he devised a rotating color wheel, which produced the effect of different colors based on their proximity to other colors and the speed with which the disc turned.
credit: hollistaggart
