In 1789, when neither the physical basis of hue nor the retinal basis
of color perception was established, the mathematician Gaspard Monte
stated firmly that our color perceptions do not depend on the absolute
value of the physical variable, but are influenced by the context and in
particular by our estimate of the illuminant. He used this insight to
explain color contrast effects and the Paradox of Monge (the desaturation
of red objects seen through a red filter). He proposed that we can
estimate the chromaticity of the illuminant in any scene because all
surfaces reflect to us varying mixtures of (i) the body color and (ii) a
specular component that represents the illuminant. He also realized that
white objects have a special property: Provided that they are illuminated
by a single illuminant, such objects exhibit no variation in chromaticity
across their surface. Thus at least one of the unique hues exists as an
external reference on which observers can agree. It is suggested that
other unique hues may also have a basis in the external world.