Dutch Golden Age · 1606–1669 · Dutch

Rembrandt

Rembrandt worked from a limited, mostly earthy palette: ochres, umbers, lead white and black, warmed with vermilion and red lakes, often laid on thickly in the highlights.

Across 6 works, the colors are mostly black (53%), brown (39%) and yellow (2%). On average the canvases are dark, muted and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: warm black, very dark brown, soot, bistre and very dark umber.

Color print

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

• MG 220 warm black 18.8% of canvas
• MG 223 soot 14.4% of canvas
• MG 219 bistre 14.4% of canvas
• MG 222 charcoal 6.2% of canvas
• MG 170 very dark brown 4.6% of canvas
• MG 177 dark taupe 4.2% of canvas
• MG 169 dark brown 3.8% of canvas
• MG 224 black 3.5% of canvas
• MG 156 dark reddish brown 2.4% of canvas
• MG 157 very dark reddish brown 2.3% of canvas
• MG 221 blue black 1.7% of canvas
• MG 186 dark umber 1.6% of canvas
• MG 187 very dark umber 1.6% of canvas
• MG 168 dark amber brown 1.6% of canvas
• MG 185 dark golden umber 1.4% of canvas
• MG 176 taupe 1.3% of canvas

Measurements

Lightness

0.30

Contrast

0.47

Vividness

0.025

Warmth

+1.00

Complexity

116 cells

Hue range

0.28

Focus

0.22

Works

• The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632
• The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633
• Belshazzar's Feast, 1636
• The Night Watch, 1642
• The Jewish Bride, c. 1667
• Return of the Prodigal Son, 1668