Nearly three centuries ago, way before PANTONE invented the color matching system, a Dutch artist known only as ‘A. Boogert’ wrote an extraordinary book about mixing watercolors.
Titled Traité des couleurs servant à la peinture à l’eau, it was discovered by book historian Erik Kwakkel in the online archives of the Bibliothèque Méjanes in Aix-en-Provence, France.
According to Colossal, the book has been described as “probably the most comprehensive guide to paint and color of its time,” closely resembling the modern day PANTONE color guide.
Within the 800-page book, the author explains color mixing, providing instructions on how to create certain hues by adding “one, two or three portions of water”. This was done through hand-painted illustrations of different colored swatches.
Kwakkel, who translated the book’s introduction, said that the author probably wrote the book as an educational guide.
The entire book can be viewed here, while its description is available here.
[via Colossal and Erik Kwakkel]