Fauvism & Expressionism · 1907

The Dessert: Harmony in Red (The Red Room)

Henri Matisse 1869–1954

The Dessert: Harmony in Red (The Red Room) (1907) by Henri Matisse. Its palette is led by dark crimson (#9e0834, 37%) and dark muted azure teal (#1f4741, 14%), with accents of dark crimson, pewter, indigo blue and parchment. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, vivid and warm.

Color notes

Matisse first painted it in blue-green, then repainted it red in 1908.

Matisse led the Fauves, who used pure, unmixed color for expression; his Woman with a Hat caused a scandal at the 1905 Salon d'Automne.

Palette

#9e0834 MG 003 dark crimson 37.4% of canvas
#1f4741 MG 084 dark muted azure teal 13.7% of canvas
#6e1d25 MG 008 dark crimson 13.0% of canvas
#211b26 MG 222 charcoal 12.2% of canvas
#c9693d MG 026 scarlet orange 6.8% of canvas
#848c84 MG 214 pewter 6.7% of canvas
#41579f MG 111 indigo blue 5.3% of canvas
#f3e3d4 MG 201 parchment 5.0% of canvas

Color families

Red 48%, Blue 17%, Brown 11%, Gray 7%, Black 6%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.45
Contrast: 0.53
Vividness: 0.104
Warmth: +0.80
Complexity: 238 cells
Hue range: 0.42
Focus: 0.02

Composition

51% of the visual weight is in the left half, 55% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.32 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 5% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 34% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1907
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 180.5 × 221.0 cm
Collection: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

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