Mechaniek kleuren-spel 1816

Jan Oortman Senior made this color wheel game in the Netherlands sometime around the turn of the 19th century. At first glance, it’s just a simple game, but let’s think about what’s at stake in codifying and standardizing color. The Dutch Republic was a major hub for international trade at this time. The Dutch East India Company traded textiles and dyestuffs, which were highly prized commodities, and the regulation of color was key to controlling these markets. The colors named on this wheel, along with the mechanistic elements, suggest the growing industrialization of color production. So, this is more than just a game; it reflects the scientific and economic interests of the Dutch Republic. To understand this image better, we might explore the archives of Dutch trading companies or the scientific literature on color theory from this period. The meaning of art always depends on its wider social and institutional context.