Rinpa · 1658–1716 · Japanese

Ogata Kōrin

Kōrin's Irises screens (c. 1701–05) repeat clumps of irises across a ground of gold leaf, painted in mineral blue and green: azurite and malachite.

Across 4 works, the colors are mostly yellow (41%), brown (39%) and green (9%). On average the canvases are light, vivid and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: light amber, pale gold, light amber gold, green and pale amber.

Color print

The swatches covering most of these canvases, averaged over every work, dark to light.

• MG 033 light amber 10.8% of canvas
• MG 037 light amber gold 7.7% of canvas
• MG 034 amber 7.5% of canvas
• MG 182 golden umber 7.2% of canvas
• MG 036 pale gold 7.0% of canvas
• MG 032 light orange amber 5.2% of canvas
• MG 177 dark taupe 4.9% of canvas
• MG 183 golden umber 4.6% of canvas
• MG 192 golden olive 3.8% of canvas
• MG 035 pale amber 3.7% of canvas
• MG 176 taupe 3.6% of canvas
• MG 059 dark muted lime green 3.4% of canvas
• MG 218 graphite 3.3% of canvas
• MG 193 golden olive 2.9% of canvas
• MG 067 green 2.2% of canvas
• MG 174 warm grey 2.1% of canvas

Measurements

Lightness

0.58

Contrast

0.45

Vividness

0.067

Warmth

+0.92

Complexity

183 cells

Hue range

0.25

Focus

0.00

Composition

Averaged over 4 works: 50% of the visual weight in the right half, 56% in the upper half; symmetry 0.36; 29% calm space; half of the detail in 29% of the canvas. Measured from each image, not a rule the painters followed.

Works

• Irises screen, c. 1701–1705
• Red and White Plum Blossoms, 1715
• Rough Waves, 18th century
• Wind God and Thunder God, 18th century