Cubism & Early Abstraction · 1883–1931 · Dutch

Theo van Doesburg

Across 3 works, the colors are mostly black (29%), gray (15%) and brown (13%). On average the canvases are mid-toned, moderately saturated and warm. Signature colors, used far more here than across the collection: very dark violet, very dark blue, pale muted green, silver and soot.

Color print

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

• MG 223 soot 18.2% of canvas
• MG 206 silver 8.3% of canvas
• MG 212 pale grey 6.9% of canvas
• MG 224 black 6.4% of canvas
• MG 213 light grey 4.4% of canvas
• MG 053 pale muted green 4.4% of canvas
• MG 108 very dark blue 3.7% of canvas
• MG 220 warm black 3.2% of canvas
• MG 189 pale golden sand 3.1% of canvas
• MG 221 blue black 2.6% of canvas
• MG 171 bone 2.6% of canvas
• MG 019 scarlet red 2.5% of canvas
• MG 203 pale muted golden cream 2.0% of canvas
• MG 038 light gold 2.0% of canvas
• MG 084 dark muted azure teal 1.9% of canvas
• MG 061 very dark muted green 1.8% of canvas

Measurements

Lightness

0.52

Contrast

0.76

Vividness

0.035

Warmth

+0.47

Complexity

229 cells

Hue range

0.53

Focus

0.15

Composition

Averaged over 3 works: 50% of the visual weight in the left half, 51% in the lower half; symmetry 0.38; 15% calm space; half of the detail in 30% of the canvas. Measured from each image, not a rule the painters followed.

Works

• Card Players, 1916
• Composition IX, 1917
• Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI, 1925