Behind the Curve: Rainbows and the Science and Culture of Color

We have many significant books from the history of our understanding of rainbows and color theory, from the writings of scholar Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham to Isaac Newton’s 1704 Opticks. Rainbows appear across the spectrum of our collections, and this exhibit includes a handwritten illuminated manuscript, practical color manuals of the industrial age, contemporary artists’ and children’s books, and more from our vast holdings. 

Rainbows have captivated people for all of recorded history. It’s hard not to think of them as physical objects, but they are really just distorted images of the sun, positioned around the viewer’s head. They require someone to perceive them to exist, and thus have much in common with colors and color theory in general. And, like colors, they are about relationships: of one color next to another, and of colors and the people who see them. The rainbow has had many different cultural interpretations over the years, and most recently has become synonymous with gay pride, appearing all over each June.