He conceived of science as a living experience, in which every phenomenon is connected to a larger “whole.” According to Goethe, scientific inquiry demands patience, passion, and an open mind for the understanding of each phenomenon; he also saw in the fusion of art and scientific method a higher form of knowledge, capable of harmonizing sensory perception with creative intuition.

In the following sections, the site will examine Goethe’s principal contributions to the advancement of the sciences of his era. Among other works, it will illustrate the treatise Versuch die Metamorphose der Pflanzen zu erklären (“Metamorphosis of Plants”), in which he first described the serial homology of leaf organs—from cotyledons to petals—laying the foundations of modern plant morphology; and the volume Zur Farbenlehre (“Theory of Colours”), in which he proposed a theory of colours based on the dynamic interaction of light and darkness, opposing Newtonian ideas about the prismatic decomposition of light.

With this overview, the site aims to celebrate his multidimensionality by offering in-depth looks at original texts, scientific biographies, and documents to explore the connections between science, philosophy, and art.