Abstract
A deductive model to explain the functioning of art brings forward regularities concerning the color elements which are used in paintings. To provide optimal perception both of individual paintings and of systems of paintings it is necessary to organize them in such a way that:
each given painting consists of four spectral color elements and one or two non-spectral ones (black and/or white); each national school of painting should be based on its “color-and-light standard” which is nothing but white color representing sunlight, and the properties of this “standard” should respond to the parameters of the sunlight typical for the region of a given culture; quite a definite “color triad” is inherent to each national school, dominating the majority of its paintings.
These regularities were verified using 822 paintings representing French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian national schools. The results obtained may be used not only for model purposes but also for various studies in history of art.
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