Oedipus and the Sphinx

Oedipus and the Sphinx (1864) by Gustave Moreau. Its palette is led by bistre (#2a2319, 49%) and iron (#4d554c, 22%), with accents of light amber. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color reading

Brown and black cover about three-quarters of the canvas. Its most vivid color, light amber #AD8F5F, takes up 6% of it.

Palette

#2a2319 MG 219 bistre 49.1% of canvas
#4d554c MG 217 iron 21.6% of canvas
#583e1e MG 168 dark amber brown 17.8% of canvas
#000000 MG 224 black 5.8% of canvas
#ad8f5f MG 033 light amber 5.8% of canvas

Color families

Brown 40%, Black 35%, Gray 17%, Green 5%, Yellow 2%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.32
Contrast: 0.50
Vividness: 0.025
Warmth: +0.99
Complexity: 205 cells
Hue range: 0.32
Focus: 0.15

Composition

55% of the visual weight is in the right half, 55% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.18 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 24% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 30% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1864
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 206.0 × 105.0 cm
Genre: mythological painting
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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More by Gustave Moreau

Jason, 1865
Salomé Dancing before Herod, 1876