170
1611
~ 1611
The earliest known colour system can be traced back to Aron Sigfrid Forsius . In his own words , “ If , however , the origin and the relationship of the colours are to be correctly observed , then one must begin with the five basic median colours , which are red , blue , green and yellow , with grey from white and black , and one must heed their grading , and whether they move nearer to the white because of their paleness or nearer to the black because of their darkness .”
Around the same time , physicist Franciscus Aguilonius devised a three-colour system based on red , yellow , and blue . This is possibly the oldest system to use the RYB trio of colours .