Return of the Prodigal Son

Return of the Prodigal Son (1668) by Rembrandt. Its palette is led by warm black (#19110b, 59%) and very dark reddish brown (#341d0d, 19%), with accents of scarlet red and rich scarlet brown. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color note

Rembrandt worked from a limited, mostly earthy palette: ochres, umbers, lead white and black, warmed with vermilion and red lakes, often laid on thickly in the highlights.

Palette

#19110b MG 220 warm black 58.6% of canvas
#341d0d MG 157 very dark reddish brown 18.6% of canvas
#52280e MG 156 dark reddish brown 10.2% of canvas
#99320e MG 019 scarlet red 6.9% of canvas
#a1641f MG 161 rich scarlet brown 5.7% of canvas

Color families

Black 57%, Brown 39%, Red 2%, Yellow 1%, Orange 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.25
Contrast: 0.36
Vividness: 0.028
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 97 cells
Hue range: 0.24
Focus: 0.17

Composition

63% of the visual weight is in the left half, 60% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.06 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 59% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 22% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1668
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 262.0 × 205.0 cm
Genre: religious art
Made in: Netherlands
Collection: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

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More by Rembrandt

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633
Belshazzar's Feast, 1636
The Night Watch, 1642
The Jewish Bride, c. 1667