Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso

Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso (1782) by Angelica Kauffman. Its palette is led by bistre (#352110, 56%) and dark taupe (#4b3420, 17%), with accents of rich orange brown. Overall the canvas is dark, moderately saturated and warm.

Color reading

Brown covers about two-thirds of the canvas. Its most vivid color, rich orange brown #A5573C, takes up just 4% of it.

Palette

#352110 MG 219 bistre 55.6% of canvas
#4b3420 MG 177 dark taupe 17.0% of canvas
#988c81 MG 173 putty 13.0% of canvas
#6d4a32 MG 162 rich scarlet brown 9.8% of canvas
#a5573c MG 158 rich orange brown 4.5% of canvas

Color families

Brown 65%, Black 29%, Gray 3%, Orange 1%, Red 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.34
Contrast: 0.48
Vividness: 0.031
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 118 cells
Hue range: 0.32
Focus: 0.22

Composition

61% of the visual weight is in the left half, 65% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.72 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 42% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 26% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1782
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 82.6 × 112.4 cm
Genre: mythological painting
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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More by Angelica Kauffman

Sappho Inspired by Love, 1775
The Sorrow of Telemachus, 1783