Primavera

Primavera (1480s) by Sandro Botticelli. Its palette is led by soot (#151215, 37%) and charcoal (#2b2425, 18%), with accents of reddish brown, light grey, pale muted golden cream and rich sienna. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, muted and warm.

Color note

Botticelli painted mostly in egg tempera, which dries fast into clear, matte color and doesn't allow the soft blending of oil. The Birth of Venus is tempera on canvas, unusual for so large a work in its time.

Palette

#151215 MG 223 soot 36.5% of canvas
#2b2425 MG 222 charcoal 18.4% of canvas
#6d4e3a MG 154 reddish brown 14.7% of canvas
#a27e5e MG 165 amber brown 14.5% of canvas
#a5a19c MG 213 light grey 7.8% of canvas
#dfcdaf MG 202 pale muted golden cream 4.7% of canvas
#812d25 MG 147 rich sienna 3.3% of canvas

Color families

Black 48%, Brown 35%, Gray 7%, Orange 3%, Yellow 3%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.38
Contrast: 0.61
Vividness: 0.029
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 232 cells
Hue range: 0.38
Focus: 0.25

Composition

56% of the visual weight is in the left half, 58% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.44 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 3% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 36% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1480s
Medium: Tempera on panel and plaster
Size: 203.0 × 314.0 cm
Genre: mythological painting
Collection: Uffizi Gallery, Florence

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