The Last Supper

The Last Supper (1490s) by Leonardo da Vinci. Its palette is led by umber (#695842, 30%) and dark taupe (#433221, 25%), with accents of pale muted golden cream and warm black. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, moderately saturated and warm.

Color note

Leonardo built his tones from many thin, translucent layers, the soft-edged technique called sfumato. Centuries of yellowed varnish now sit over his paintings, so their colors read warmer and more yellow than when he painted them.

Palette

#695842 MG 184 umber 29.9% of canvas
#433221 MG 177 dark taupe 24.5% of canvas
#9d866b MG 165 amber brown 17.7% of canvas
#ada088 MG 181 light sand 14.6% of canvas
#d7d0bd MG 203 pale muted golden cream 8.6% of canvas
#1f120a MG 220 warm black 4.6% of canvas

Color families

Brown 85%, Gray 6%, Black 4%, White 3%, Orange 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.52
Contrast: 0.55
Vividness: 0.038
Warmth: +0.99
Complexity: 196 cells
Hue range: 0.20
Focus: 0.02

Composition

53% of the visual weight is in the right half, 54% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.85 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 16% 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: 1490s
Medium: Tempera and gesso
Size: 700.0 × 880.0 cm
Genre: religious art
Made in: Republic of Florence
Collection: Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

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