Arnolfini Portrait

Arnolfini Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck. Its palette is led by bistre (#29221b, 69%) and dark muted green (#2c3c09, 13%), with accents of putty. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color note

Van Eyck is often credited with inventing oil paint; he didn't, but he perfected layering it in thin, translucent glazes. That is how his deep greens and jewel-like reds were built up.

Palette

#29221b MG 219 bistre 68.8% of canvas
#2c3c09 MG 060 dark muted green 12.8% of canvas
#54432f MG 168 dark amber brown 12.3% of canvas
#6e5c43 MG 184 umber 4.6% of canvas
#a59581 MG 173 putty 1.6% of canvas

Color families

Black 48%, Brown 36%, Green 15%, Gray 1%, Blue 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.30
Contrast: 0.27
Vividness: 0.025
Warmth: +0.98
Complexity: 82 cells
Hue range: 0.56
Focus: 0.07

Composition

62% of the visual weight is in the right half, 58% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.04 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 55% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 27% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1434
Medium: Oil on oak panel
Size: 82.2 × 60.0 cm
Genre: portrait
Collection: National Gallery, London

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