Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds

Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds (1823) by John Constable. Its palette is led by taupe (#654f2e, 33%) and gold (#8e7746, 27%), with accents of bistre. Overall the canvas is light, moderately saturated and warm.

Color note

Constable flicked touches of pure white onto his landscapes to catch light glinting on wet leaves and water; critics called it “Constable's snow”.

Palette

#654f2e MG 176 taupe 33.1% of canvas
#8e7746 MG 039 gold 26.6% of canvas
#b2ab9a MG 172 oatmeal 20.7% of canvas
#321f0d MG 219 bistre 11.5% of canvas
#d6d0c2 MG 202 pale muted golden cream 8.1% of canvas

Color families

Brown 81%, Yellow 12%, White 3%, Gray 2%, Black 2%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.55
Contrast: 0.53
Vividness: 0.052
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 211 cells
Hue range: 0.23
Focus: 0.00

Composition

54% of the visual weight is in the right half, 55% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.23 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 8% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 37% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1823
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 87.6 × 111.8 cm
Genre: landscape painting
Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

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More by John Constable

The Hay Wain, 1821
The Cornfield, 1826