Farben-Kugel by Philipp Otto Runge (1777–1810)

The colour sphere is the result of Runge’s colour experiments and theoretical ambitions to interpret the colours by means of their interrelation and place in nature. These efforts were subsequently summarized and published together with the colour sphere in Farben-Kugel oder Construction des Verhältnisses aller Mischungen der Farben zu einander, und ihrer vollständigen Affinität mit angehängtem Versuch einer Ableitung der Harmonie in den Zusammenstellungen der Farben (1810). To aid him in his theoretical constructions, Henrik Steffens (1773–1845) introduced Runge to contemporary philosophy and contributed with a short treatise on the meaning of the colours in nature that was published as a supplement to Runge’s treatise. The colour sphere is thus not only a work of art. It simultaneously represents the interdisciplinary collaboration between Runge and Steffens and comprises a major theoretical contribution to modern aesthetics.