Most human observers are color vision trichromats who experience a three dimensional color space. Potential tetrachromat observers are individuals who may experience more than three dimensions of color experience. This talk will review the controversy behind potential human tetrachromacy and explore whether investigation and mathematical modeling of artwork created by potential tetrachromat individuals can clarify the nature of a trichromat-tetrachromat difference. Artistic representation of naturalistic scenes makes use of a range of visual processing features, and color and illumination are two that are frequently employed as strong dimensional emphases, especially in the medium of painting. Variations in human retinal photopigment classes are known to effect perception of light and color, and produce color appearance processing differences across individuals. We empirically investigated color perception in genotyped individuals with a potential for greater than three retinal photopigment classes compared to controls. We empirically investigate both professional artists and non-artist participants to design image-processing filters to identify components of visual scenes processed differently by potential tetrachromat observers. These simulations provide informative visualizations, across a range of scenes, suggesting directions for modeling, and give insights into how a trichromat observer could appreciate what a higher-dimensional color experience involves.