The Death of Socrates

The Death of Socrates (1787) by Jacques-Louis David. Its palette is led by warm black (#1b1610, 57%) and dark brown (#3f2c1e, 25%), with accents of golden umber. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color reading

Black covers about two-thirds of the canvas. Its most vivid color, dark rich brown #602D19, takes up just 3% of it.

Palette

#1b1610 MG 220 warm black 56.8% of canvas
#3f2c1e MG 169 dark brown 24.8% of canvas
#51432d MG 185 dark golden umber 11.0% of canvas
#8f744a MG 183 golden umber 3.9% of canvas
#602d19 MG 160 dark rich brown 3.4% of canvas

Color families

Black 67%, Brown 32%, Yellow 0%, Gray 0%, Orange 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.27
Contrast: 0.29
Vividness: 0.018
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 106 cells
Hue range: 0.34
Focus: 0.33

Composition

56% of the visual weight is in the right half, 64% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.48 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 59% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 21% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1787
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 129.5 × 196.2 cm
Genre: history painting
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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