Ragona-Sciná's (1847) method for, and observations of, simultaneous color contrast

Robert P. O'Shea; Stefano Brini; Nicholas J. Wade

doi:10.1177/2041669516643239

Ragona-Sciná's (1847) method for, and observations of, simultaneous color contrast

Robert P. O'Shea (Lead / Corresponding author), Stefano Brini, Nicholas J. Wade

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

169 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In 1847, Domenico Ragona-Sciná (1820-1892) published a method of optically superimposing images using an angled piece of colored glass. He showed that if one looks at a black, filled circle through the colored glass and superimposes on it the reflection from the glass of something white, the filled circle looks tinted with the complementary color of the background: simultaneous color contrast or contrast color. Although Ragona-Sciná's method and his observation have been cited into the 21st century, the former for its simplicity and the latter for its challenges to early theories of color vision, some errors have crept in and the phenomenon still lacks an agreed-on explanation. We provide some biographical information about Ragona-Sciná, set the method and the observation into their historical and theoretical contexts, and give a translation into English of Ragona-Sciná's Italian-language paper.

Original language	English
Number of pages	13
Journal	I-Perception
Volume	7
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/2041669516643239
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2016

Keywords

Color perception
History
Methods for research in visual perception
Multi-field tachistoscope
Optical superimposition
Ragona
Simultaneous color contrast

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Sensory Systems
Artificial Intelligence

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10.1177/2041669516643239Licence: CC BY

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Final published version, 464 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "In 1847, Domenico Ragona-Scin{\'a} (1820-1892) published a method of optically superimposing images using an angled piece of colored glass. He showed that if one looks at a black, filled circle through the colored glass and superimposes on it the reflection from the glass of something white, the filled circle looks tinted with the complementary color of the background: simultaneous color contrast or contrast color. Although Ragona-Scin{\'a}'s method and his observation have been cited into the 21st century, the former for its simplicity and the latter for its challenges to early theories of color vision, some errors have crept in and the phenomenon still lacks an agreed-on explanation. We provide some biographical information about Ragona-Scin{\'a}, set the method and the observation into their historical and theoretical contexts, and give a translation into English of Ragona-Scin{\'a}'s Italian-language paper.",

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Ragona-Sciná's (1847) method for, and observations of, simultaneous color contrast

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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