American Modernism · 1929

Black Cross, New Mexico

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887–1986

Still in copyright: the image isn't shown, only the colors measured from it.

Black Cross, New Mexico (1929) by Georgia O'Keeffe. Its palette is led by soot (#161413, 69%) and iron (#454440, 12%), with accents of pewter. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color reading

Black covers about two-thirds of the canvas. Even its most colorful tone, pale golden sand #C0C9A4, stays close to gray.

Palette

#161413 MG 223 soot 68.8% of canvas
#454440 MG 217 iron 12.4% of canvas
#c0c9a4 MG 189 pale golden sand 8.5% of canvas
#6c716c MG 209 cool grey 5.3% of canvas
#888b85 MG 214 pewter 5.0% of canvas

Color families

Black 68%, Gray 18%, Brown 8%, Green 3%, Yellow 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.31
Contrast: 0.62
Vividness: 0.009
Warmth: +0.43
Complexity: 91 cells
Hue range: 0.64
Focus: 0.00

Composition

70% of the visual weight is in the right half, 55% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.08 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 76% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 15% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1929
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 99 × 76 cm
Made in: New Mexico
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago