The Abbey in the Oakwood

The Abbey in the Oakwood (c. 1809) by Caspar David Friedrich. Its palette is led by charcoal (#292122, 27%) and warm grey (#83766b, 21%). Overall the canvas is mid-toned, muted and warm.

Color note

Friedrich built his landscapes from restrained, cool harmonies of greys, blues and muted greens, often at dawn, dusk or by moonlight. Color in his work carries mood rather than decoration.

Palette

#292122 MG 222 charcoal 27.4% of canvas
#83766b MG 174 warm grey 20.7% of canvas
#ab9d81 MG 181 light sand 20.2% of canvas
#4c4138 MG 168 dark amber brown 16.5% of canvas
#3a2f29 MG 177 dark taupe 15.2% of canvas

Color families

Brown 65%, Black 31%, Gray 2%, Yellow 2%, Red 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.45
Contrast: 0.51
Vividness: 0.023
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 73 cells
Hue range: 0.28
Focus: 0.24

Composition

62% of the visual weight is in the right half, 67% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.84 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 74% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 16% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: c. 1809
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 110.4 × 171.0 cm
Genre: landscape painting
Collection: Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin

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