Albert Henry Munsell (1858–1918, Boston, USA) was a key figure in bridging the gap between art and science. A painter, art teacher, and inventor, he is known for developing one of the most influential systems for classifying and describing color: the Munsell Color System .
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Drawing inspiration from art and science, and motivated and influenced by new discoveries in visual psychology and optics, Munsell developed a system based on how the human eye perceives color—a key difference from the traditional color wheel that influenced how Munsell's representation was depicted three-dimensionally. In 1905, Munsell published "A Color Notation," a seminal work in color theory that presented his color classification system based on three perceptual attributes: hue, value, and chroma.
This system transformed how we understand and use color, as Munsell established the three differentiating aspects of color: hue, lightness, and tint. This enabled more precise and universal communication about something so seemingly subjective, leaving a legacy that remains relevant today, especially in the digital age.
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
The Munsell Color Scale
Also known as the Munsell Tree, the color system created by the American inventor is based on three main dimensions:
Hue: Represents the type of color, such as red, yellow, green, blue, etc. Munsell defined 10 main hues subdivided into intermediate steps to obtain 100 hues in total.
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Value: This is the lightness or darkness of a color, on a scale from 0 (black) to 10 (white). It represents the perceived brightness.
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Chroma: Measures the intensity or saturation of a color, ranging from neutral gray (chroma 0) to more vibrant colors. The maximum number varies depending on the hue and value.
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
Public domain photograph via cosmos.so/public-work
In 1917, Munsell founded the Munsell Color Company, which later evolved into institutions such as the Munsell Color Science Laboratory (University of Rochester), a benchmark in research on color perception.
His system served as the basis for later developments, including international standards such as CIELAB. Munsell demonstrated that color could be described with scientific precision without losing its aesthetic and artistic richness.
