Munsell's Colour System

In Munsell's Colour System, Albert Munsell set out to make colour exact. Here, his foundational text on colour theory is paired with fifteen full-colour plates from his colour atlas.

Munsell was a painter and teacher who was frustrated with the lack of consistency across colour science. His written work A Color Notation, first published in 1905, established a way of categorising colour by three dimensions: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (purity). These elements could be used to produce any particular colour or differentiate between those of the same character. The innovative theory offered insights into colour harmony and the relationships between certain colours, creating a way to name any colour exactly, and to describe how each stood in relation to the rest.

Munsell's system spurred significant advancements in colour science, art, and design, and became the foundation for much of modern colour theory alongside works published by Michel Chevreul and Ogden Rood. This edition combines A Color Notation (1905) with all fifteen full-colour plates from Atlas of the Munsell Color System (1915), an introduction by Munsell, and an essay on colour by Bonnie E. Snow. It is an essential colour manual for anyone studying colour theory, working with colour, or those drawn to the history of chromatics.

Book Features:

The complete text of A. H. Munsell's 1905 A Color Notation.
All fifteen full-colour plates from the Atlas of the Munsell Color System (1915).
An original introduction by Munsell and an essay on colour by Bonnie E. Snow.
The hue, value, and chroma system that underpins modern colour science.
An essential reference for designers, artists, and students of colour theory.