The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632) by Rembrandt. Its palette is led by bistre (#281f14, 33%) and black (#090504, 33%), with accents of amber brown and pale sand. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color note

Rembrandt worked from a limited, mostly earthy palette: ochres, umbers, lead white and black, warmed with vermilion and red lakes, often laid on thickly in the highlights.

Palette

#281f14 MG 219 bistre 33.1% of canvas
#090504 MG 224 black 32.9% of canvas
#3c3227 MG 177 dark taupe 17.3% of canvas
#5e4e38 MG 176 taupe 6.3% of canvas
#9f8568 MG 165 amber brown 6.3% of canvas
#cfba94 MG 180 pale sand 4.1% of canvas

Color families

Black 62%, Brown 36%, Yellow 1%, Gray 1%, White 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.28
Contrast: 0.58
Vividness: 0.015
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 121 cells
Hue range: 0.22
Focus: 0.26

Composition

58% of the visual weight is in the left half, 61% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.33 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 47% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 22% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1632
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 169.5 × 216.5 cm
Genre: group portrait
Collection: Mauritshuis, The Hague

Download the pin · Save to Pinterest