The Monk by the Sea

The Monk by the Sea (1808) by Caspar David Friedrich. Its palette is led by light muted blue (#92a0b6, 42%) and muted azure blue (#7788a5, 19%), with accents of dark muted azure blue. Overall the canvas is light, moderately saturated and cool.

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

#92a0b6 MG 094 light muted blue 41.7% of canvas
#7788a5 MG 095 muted azure blue 19.3% of canvas
#202125 MG 222 charcoal 15.7% of canvas
#5f6e8c MG 096 muted azure blue 12.9% of canvas
#424d63 MG 098 dark muted azure blue 10.4% of canvas

Color families

Blue 44%, Gray 42%, Black 11%, Brown 3%, Green 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.58
Contrast: 0.55
Vividness: 0.031
Warmth: -0.99
Complexity: 73 cells
Hue range: 0.02
Focus: 0.04

Composition

52% of the visual weight is in the right half, 73% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.74 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 85% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 28% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1808
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 110.0 × 171.5 cm
Genre: landscape painting
Made in: Germany
Collection: Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin

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