Cupid Complaining to Venus

Cupid Complaining to Venus (c. 1526) by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Its palette is led by charcoal (#211e19, 35%) and dark umber (#393122, 19%), with accents of golden umber, dark muted azure teal, light muted aqua and muted azure teal. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, muted and warm.

Color reading

Brown and black cover nearly nine-tenths of the canvas. Even its most colorful tone, muted azure teal #527E8B, stays close to gray.

Palette

#211e19 MG 222 charcoal 34.9% of canvas
#393122 MG 186 dark umber 18.8% of canvas
#50452c MG 185 dark golden umber 17.3% of canvas
#928263 MG 182 golden umber 10.3% of canvas
#d1baa2 MG 163 pale tan 9.4% of canvas
#2d5661 MG 084 dark muted azure teal 3.7% of canvas
#87a8a8 MG 080 light muted aqua 2.9% of canvas
#527e8b MG 082 muted azure teal 2.7% of canvas

Color families

Brown 48%, Black 39%, Gray 5%, Blue 5%, White 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.40
Contrast: 0.58
Vividness: 0.028
Warmth: +0.76
Complexity: 193 cells
Hue range: 0.56
Focus: 0.05

Composition

62% of the visual weight is in the right half, 56% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.48 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 10% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 31% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: c. 1526
Medium: Paint on panel
Size: 81.3 × 54.6 cm
Genre: mythological painting
Collection: National Gallery, London

Download the pin · Save to Pinterest

More by Lucas Cranach the Elder

The Three Graces, 1531
The fountain of youth, 1546