Surrealism · 1940

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird

Frida Kahlo 1907–1954

Still in copyright: the image isn't shown, only the colors measured from it.

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) by Frida Kahlo. Its palette is led by bone (#c7c4a9, 21%) and soot (#0f120d, 19%), with accents of dark muted green, yellow, umber and pale golden yellow. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, vivid and warm.

Color reading

Brown, yellow and green cover about three-quarters of the canvas. Its most vivid color, pale golden yellow #D9C158, takes up just 4% of it.

Palette

#c7c4a9 MG 171 bone 20.7% of canvas
#0f120d MG 223 soot 19.1% of canvas
#bf8531 MG 033 light amber 13.8% of canvas
#526826 MG 197 rich olive 12.7% of canvas
#2c3e1e MG 060 dark muted green 11.4% of canvas
#7c8a2f MG 045 yellow 10.7% of canvas
#765b2e MG 184 umber 7.6% of canvas
#d9c158 MG 041 pale golden yellow 4.1% of canvas

Color families

Brown 34%, Yellow 21%, Green 21%, Black 17%, White 4%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.53
Contrast: 0.68
Vividness: 0.063
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 235 cells
Hue range: 0.46
Focus: 0.08

Composition

51% of the visual weight is in the left half, 52% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.50 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 4% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 35% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1940
Medium: Oil and masonite on canvas
Genre: self-portrait
Collection: Harry Ransom Center, Texas