A penchant for purple: part 3 (Series 3)“Colours are light’s suffering and joy.”― Johann Wolfg

A penchant for purple: part 3 (Series 3)“Colours are light’s suffering and joy.”― Johann Wolfgang von GoetheIn part 1 and part 2 of this series, we saw the disruptive influence of purple as identified by Goethe in his treatise on colour, Zur Farbenlehre (Theory of Colour).  Goethe in his analyses did not bother with colour as a physical phenomenon to be dissected; on the contrary, his philosophy concentrates on how colour is sensed and interpreted by the eye then the mind.Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher, was motivated by his interest in painting, and describes, in some of the earliest published accounts, coloured shadows, after images and complementary colours. In contrast to Isaac Newton, he was not concerned with the physics of colour, analytic measurement and cold, hard mathematics.  He was concerned with colour harmony and ways of characterising how colours affect the viewer.Philosophers and psychologists embraced Zur Farbenlehre; physicists rejected it. In theorising about the psychological impacts of colours, Goethe’s ‘chromatic’ wheel, as he termed it, illustrates also the opposition of colour as perceived by the human eye. Purple, the most powerful wavelength of the spectrum, sits, in Goethe’s colour wheel, on the divide between reddish-yellow (orange) and the reddish-blue (violet). It resolves the polarity between yellow and blue. from Theory of Colours, (1840), Plate I Figure 3 and ¶612(Primary and secondary colours are depicted as triangles and complementary relationships are depicted as straight lines.)It was Goethe who introduced the colour purple into his schemas, while Newton’s theory contained only spectral colours. Purple is still included in colour wheels today. Purple is the zenith of Goethe’s world of colours.Its manifestations in MFMM are hugely varied and, with some poetic licence, extend from pale mauve satin, delicate lilac chiffon and soft lavender feathers, to deep, rich violet felts and noble purple itself in plush velvet.  Series 3 sees on-going glimpses as well as long, lingering gazes at its tonal palette.First glimpse appears in Episode 1 of Series 3, Death Defying Feats, and in the awkwardness, then the more relaxed environment of the morning after the night before.  Phryne and Jack have had  a couple of dates defied by death and Daddy, and they are just coming to terms with his waking up in her bed.Our colour de jour appears in the form of a soft lavender silk scarf that accompanies Phryne’s eggshell blue chinoise coat.  Having established what took place, they revert to collaborative detective-mode to interview the contortionist, her unravelled appearance complete with floral dress displaying bunches of violets:The pale lilac-grey scarf then accompanies Phryne and Dot, then Phryne and Jack on investigations into the mysteriously misplaced mermaid Millie, with reflections of the blue-lavender in the trim of Phryne’s red cloche:Mysterious Millie offers some purple accessories of her own:Goethe appreciates that the sensation of complementarity does not originate physically from the actions of light on our eyes but perceptually from the actions of our brain - our visual system.And in his system, it is green that has a complementary relationship to purple (just saying):Episode 2, Murder and the MaidenJust when we thought, after the Episode 1 date disasters, that things might start looking up, along comes Episode 2 and a pronounced purple patch.Purple’s ability to both excite and then dampen delight appears in another piece of gorgeous chinoiserie, and no subtlety of colour this time. The black, midnight blue and purple silk has purple silk lining, trim and cuffs, and a purple cloche with silk embroidered floral motifs; Phryne’s earrings dangle purple appeal.Despite some reminiscing and some subsequent remonstrating, the dashing detective duo collaborate to confound culprits (and captains):Series 3, Episode 3 Murder and MozzarellaFor a scene with ‘a rival for Jack’s affection’ Phryne needs an outfit that ‘is sexy but incredibly elegant’ (MFMM Costume Exhibition catalogue). It is black beaded Chantilly lace over a purple silk under-slip.Phryne’s visit is to find out, ostensibly, more about the feud between culinary families and involvement of the Camorra, but perhaps it is more than rival restaurants that incite the visit.Concetta: You are a friend of Gianni’s? Jack.  Phryne: A friend, yes. And you? Concetta: Si. He tried very hard to find who killed my husband, but it is not easy. Since then he has dinner here many, many nights. Phryne: He must like the food. And just to make sure we have this evening and the next day firmly established as significant, the next morning reinforces the purple theme, with perhaps one of the most telling scenes in relation to Phryne’s growing propriety of Jack:Phryne: I didn’t know you drank coffee, Jack. Jack: Would you like me to make a full confession? Phryne: No, thank you. I prefer a never-ending source of mystery.Jack: Concetta, this is Miss Fisher. Concetta: Si. We talked last night. Jack: Did you now?The rich purple velvet jacket with wide buttoned cuffs is teemed with a black straw hat and feathers of black, white and lavender and a long black and purple floral print scarf.  The coat could well be one we’ve seen previously in Raisins and Almonds and/or Juana, but without the fur collar.  But it continues tonally the link with Phryne’s dinner with Concetta.The tonal link with Jack too is reinforced as they walk away from Strano’s, the red lining of their coats in step with their, well… step.There’s some serious manoeuvring on both their parts as murder investigation and personal interest interplay in a truly delightful exchange of flirtatious banter:Jack: So you came back to the restaurant last night. Phryne: I had a few questions for Concetta. Jack: Did you get the answers you were looking for? Phryne: Too early to say. When you say ‘old friend’, do you mean 'old friend’ like Dr Mac, or 'old friend’ like Captain Compton? Jack: Concetta Strano hasn’t saved my life from a burning plane wreck in Madagascar, if that’s what you mean. Then a change of tone as concern for one another becomes serious:Jack: I’m more concerned about you getting in too deep. Phryne: Who, me? Jack: Look, these people have been killing each other for generations… Phryne: I’ll be careful. Promise me you’ll be careful too. The plush purple and accoutrements head off to the docks for a shoot out:Then a meeting with Mac in the morgue:Mac: I have no doubt she was attacked, but that wasn’t what killed her. Phryne: There were mushrooms in the dish she was preparing. Mac: That is where it gets interesting. I tested the contents. Those mushrooms were not poisonous. Phryne: So, she was killed by different mushrooms?A slightly awkward interview with Guido:And a return to the scene of the crime and a rather beautiful vignette in the restaurant garden with Marianna:The colour seems to be significant in this episode in its presence in scenes that highlight both personal and professional ties.So to the final coup d’oeil for the series in Game, Set and Murder,  Episode 8. Tennis is at the heart of this murderous mystery - literally!Phryne wears a lilac silk chiffon scarf with yet another piece of chinoiserie, this time a smokey silver-blue jacket. Trim on the palest mauve-grey straw cloche echoes the scarf. Phryne’s old friendship with the Burrows is tested, as love of tennis becomes more than a game.  Constance loves tennis to the point of obsession and her adoring husband is prepared to support her ambition at any length.In the scenes set in the gorgeous grounds of Ripponlea (Aunt P’s house again?) the lilac of the the scarf is reflected in the jacaranda in bloom behind the tennis courts. The detective duo are decidedly working as a mixed double - both on and off the court, despite a deuce of a difficulty or two or three: prying paparazzi, tempting tennis contestants, and arachnophobic interludes.Final score - love all? -- source link

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