Theory of Colours: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Theory of Colours, credited to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Theory of Colours by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. (Translated by Charles Lock Eastlake.) Read in English by Lynne T; Nathan Rosquist; Dylan Campbell; Deborah Wade; Kieren Metts; playonwords; Gillian Hendrie; Michelle Tan; DrPGould; Katarina Petric; Simona Rusu; jcrosbie; ToddHW; Suzie; Chris Gray; jenno; brianna Newton's observations on the optical spectrum were widely accepted but Goethe noticed the difference between the scientific explanation and the phenomena as experienced by the human eye. He did not try to explain this, but rather collected and presented data, conducting experiments on the interplay of light and dark. His work was rejected as 'unscientific' by physicists but his color wheel is still used by artists today. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Recording facts

• Recording title: Theory of Colours
• Author credits: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 42
• Listed recording duration: 8:58:03

Opening tracks: first 24 of 42

1. 01 - Translator's Preface and Preface to the First Edition — 29:04
2. 02 - Introduction — 16:11
3. 03 - Part I - Physiological Colours Section 1 - Effects of Light and Dark on the Eye — 5:12
4. 04 - Section II - Effects of Black and White Objects on the Eye — 13:32
5. 05 - Section III - Grey Surfaces and Objects; Section IV - Dazzling Colourless Objects — 9:19
6. 06 - Section V - Coloured Objects — 13:39
7. 07 - Section VI - Coloured Shadows — 12:43
8. 08 - Section VII - Faint Lights; Section VIII - Subjective Halos — 8:55
9. 09 - Pathological Colours - Appendix — 14:15
10. 10 - Part 2 - Physical Colours - Section IX - Diotropical Colours — 6:19
11. 11 - Section X - Diotropical Colours of the First Class — 18:55
12. 12 - Section XI - Diotropical Colours of the Second Class - Refraction — 8:10
13. 13 - Subjective Experiments - Section XII - Refraction Without the Appearance of Colour; Section XIII - Conditions of the Appearance of Colour — 7:13
14. 14 - Section XIV - Conditions Under Which the Appearance of Colour Increases — 5:23
15. 15 - Section XV - Explanation of the Foregoing Phenomena — 12:01
16. 16 - Section XVI - Decrease of the Appearance of Colour; Section XVII - Grey Objects Displaced by Refraction — 6:53
17. 17 - Section XVIII - Coloured Objects Displaced by Refraction — 19:50
18. 18 - Section XIX - Achromatism and Hyperchromatism; Section XX - Advantages of Subjective Experiments. - Transition to the Objective — 11:02
19. 19 - Objective Experiments - Section XXI - Refraction Without the Appearance of Colour; Section XXII - Conditions of the Appearance of Colour — 9:02
20. 20 - Section XXIII - Conditions of the Increase of Colour; Section XXIV - Explanation of the Foregoing Phenomena — 8:27
21. 21 - Section XXV - Decrease of the Appearance of Colour; Section XXVI - Grey Objects ; Section XXVII - Coloured Objects; Section XXVIII - Achromatism and Hyperchromatism — 11:15
22. 22 - Section XXIX - Combination of Subjective and Objective Experiments; Section XXX - Transition — 8:24
23. 23 - Section XXXI - Catatropical Colours — 11:11
24. 24 - Section XXXII - Paroptical Colours — 17:22

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.