Ghent Altarpiece

Ghent Altarpiece (1432) by Jan van Eyck. Its palette is led by brown (#745033, 23%) and orange (#9f6c46, 19%), with accents of pale gold, soot, lime green and scarlet red. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, vivid 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

#745033 MG 167 brown 23.2% of canvas
#9f6c46 MG 030 orange 19.2% of canvas
#413224 MG 177 dark taupe 17.0% of canvas
#c28951 MG 029 light orange 16.5% of canvas
#dfc48e MG 036 pale gold 9.3% of canvas
#181513 MG 223 soot 7.6% of canvas
#6d8d4b MG 065 lime green 3.8% of canvas
#ca3b24 MG 017 scarlet red 3.2% of canvas

Color families

Brown 50%, Orange 19%, Yellow 10%, Black 8%, Green 6%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.52
Contrast: 0.57
Vividness: 0.073
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 181 cells
Hue range: 0.50
Focus: 0.18

Composition

51% of the visual weight is in the left half, 61% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.85 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 0% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 42% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1432
Medium: Oil on oak panel and panel and oakwood
Size: 375.0 × 520.0 cm
Genre: religious art
Collection: St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent

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