Indian Modernism · 1934

Self-Portrait as Tahitian

Amrita Sher-Gil 1913–1941

Self-Portrait as Tahitian (1934) by Amrita Sher-Gil. Its palette is led by dark amber brown (#604932, 27%) and soot (#181614, 23%), with accents of light scarlet orange and putty. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, moderately saturated and warm.

Color reading

Brown covers about three-fifths of the canvas. Its most vivid color, scarlet #A26A43, takes up 22% of it.

Palette

#604932 MG 168 dark amber brown 27.3% of canvas
#181614 MG 223 soot 22.6% of canvas
#a26a43 MG 024 scarlet 22.0% of canvas
#7f5b3d MG 167 brown 21.1% of canvas
#deab7a MG 028 light scarlet orange 4.0% of canvas
#a09a83 MG 173 putty 2.9% of canvas

Color families

Brown 61%, Black 19%, Orange 18%, Yellow 1%, Gray 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.44
Contrast: 0.53
Vividness: 0.055
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 154 cells
Hue range: 0.30
Focus: 0.08

Composition

56% of the visual weight is in the right half, 55% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.47 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 14% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 32% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1934
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 90.0 × 56.0 cm
Genre: nude self-portrait
Collection: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi

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More by Amrita Sher-Gil

Three Girls, 1935
Bride's Toilet, 1937