Adoration of the Magi

Adoration of the Magi (1430) by Fra Angelico. Its palette is led by light amber (#b38948, 23%) and rich orange ochre (#8e6c2c, 21%), with accents of dark amber brown, oatmeal, slate and scarlet red. Overall the canvas is light, vivid and warm.

Color reading

Brown and yellow cover more than three-fifths of the canvas. Its most vivid color, scarlet red #A52F18, takes up just 3% of it.

Palette

#b38948 MG 033 light amber 23.1% of canvas
#8e6c2c MG 178 rich orange ochre 20.6% of canvas
#dfb16f MG 032 light orange amber 12.7% of canvas
#5a3f24 MG 168 dark amber brown 11.6% of canvas
#bca59c MG 172 oatmeal 11.3% of canvas
#0f1311 MG 223 soot 10.9% of canvas
#525368 MG 210 slate 7.0% of canvas
#a52f18 MG 019 scarlet red 2.9% of canvas

Color families

Brown 37%, Yellow 26%, Black 10%, Orange 8%, Blue 7%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.56
Contrast: 0.61
Vividness: 0.070
Warmth: +0.87
Complexity: 144 cells
Hue range: 0.48
Focus: 0.29

Composition

51% of the visual weight is in the right half, 52% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.86 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 0% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 39% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1430
Medium: Tempera on poplar panel
Size: 137.2 × 137.2 cm
Genre: religious art
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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More by Fra Angelico

Annunciation, 1425
San Marco Altarpiece, 15th century