Color, in regards to music, can manifest the sounds that one is listening to and shine a perspective through color. Color is represented through the tone of the music. Whether a piece of music is monochromatic or full of lively, neon color, the brain absorbs the sounds and creates a visual tone to appease the listener. These are visual piece that represent the different tones and colors music can create.
Guitar on a table, Juan Gris, 1915, From the collection of: Kröller-Müller Museum
Blue is an unnatural color for an acoustic guitar. In music, blue sometimes depicts an airy feeling like sitting on a cloud. The idea of this blue guitar probably sounds like heaven.
Reflections, or the Music Lesson, Thomas Rowlandson, 1756–1827, British, undated, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
Taking music lessons can be colorless and bland. However, the idea of witnessing a loved one improve their skill is beautiful. Left: the colorless piano lesson. Right: The color of reflection and love
Music, Tereza Petricková, 1992, From the collection of: The International Museum of Children's Art
The color of a dance party, can take different forms. Bright, dark, and can change mid song. This piece, Music, represents the different colors that you might feel at a dance party.
Music Machine, Sonni, 2010/2013, From the collection of: graffitimundo
Although this piece was done 2010-2013, this piece has a very 50's feel with the imagery and even the colors used. The red, blue, and yellow appease to the early rock n' roll boom on the 50's.
Flute Concert with Frederick the Great in Sanssouci, Adolph Menzel, 1850 - 1852, From the collection of: Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
The monochromatic feel that is classical music can be appeasing and tedious. This piece contains monochromatic colors that reveal the civilized and rich feeling you get when thinking of the mid 1800's
Street Quartet, Paul Keene, 1990, From the collection of: James A. Michener Art Museum
Street Quartet represents a time when Jazz started to add more color to music. Although still monochromatic, you see the different colors like blue and green start to seep through.
Black Spot, Wassily Kandinsky, 1921, From the collection of: Kunsthaus Zürich
3 years before Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, Black Spot symbolized the impressionistic view in music. Staff lines with blues and red , as well as different shapes depicts the future of music.
Rehearsal of an opera, Marco Ricci, 1676–1729, Italian, active in Britain (1708–10; 1711–16), ca. 1709, From the collection of: Yale Center for British Art
The monochromatic and civilized nature of music in the 1700's is represented in this piece. The sophisticated colors used depict a structured practice, which was most likely chaotic in real life.
Music on the Karl Johan Street, Edvard Munch, 1889, From the collection of: Kunsthaus Zürich
As the days of street fairs and parades began getting popular, a brighter vision of music started being introduced. In this piece, the band is getting ready to perform to a bright colorful world.
(Main View), From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
The bright colors in this piece open creates a happiness and nice visual of what the baroque period must have been like. Not so sophisticated but civilized and colorful.
Vanitas - Still Life with Books and Manuscripts and a Skull, Edwaert Collier, 1663, From the collection of: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
Vanitas might not be entirely musically based, but there is a clarinet. The dark colors pull this piece together to reflect the real tragedy and triumph that death may bring. The gold clarinet stands out.
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