When Light and Colour (Goethe's Theory) – The Morning after the Deluge – Moses Writing the Book of Genesis was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1843, it was paired with a companion piece, Shade and Darkness, both inspired by the color theories of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The paintings sparked immediate debate among critics and viewers, who were fascinated—and sometimes bewildered—by Joseph Mallord William Turner's radical use of swirling color and light. One contemporary reviewer described the works as "dreams of light and air," capturing the sense of innovation and controversy that surrounded their unveiling.

The titles themselves, with their reference to Goethe, signaled Turner's deep engagement with scientific ideas about perception. The scene Turner chose is the biblical aftermath of the Flood, with Moses poised to write the Book of Genesis. Rather than focusing on figures or narrative detail, Turner immerses the viewer in a vortex of radiant yellows, oranges, and reds, suggesting the dawn of a new world washed clean by the deluge. At the center, barely discernible, Moses sits with tablets, encircled by spectral forms—perhaps survivors, perhaps angels.

The overwhelming circular motion of the composition draws the eye inward, echoing the cyclical nature of creation and destruction. Unlike Michelangelo's precise and muscular depictions of Moses, Turner dissolves the boundaries between figure and environment, making light itself the true protagonist. The painting remains a landmark in Turner's late career, a period characterized by his boldest experiments with color theory and abstraction. After its initial exhibition, Light and Colour entered private collections before finding its permanent home in the Tate Britain, London, where it continues to intrigue and challenge viewers.

Its pair, Shade and Darkness, hangs nearby, allowing visitors to experience Turner's ambitious meditation on the dualities of vision and creation. The medium—oil on canvas—was typical for Turner, but the technique, with its almost watercolor-like transparency, was anything but conventional. Today, the painting stands as a testament to Turner's enduring fascination with the mysteries of light, color, and the origins of the world.