The Night Watch

The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt. Its palette is led by warm black (#120f07, 48%) and bistre (#34230d, 30%), with accents of light amber and pale gold. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color note

Despite its name this is a daytime scene: darkened varnish made it look like night, which gave it its nickname.

Palette

#120f07 MG 220 warm black 47.8% of canvas
#34230d MG 219 bistre 30.4% of canvas
#644115 MG 168 dark amber brown 12.0% of canvas
#926624 MG 178 rich orange ochre 5.6% of canvas
#b79149 MG 033 light amber 3.2% of canvas
#e0c895 MG 036 pale gold 0.9% of canvas

Color families

Black 53%, Brown 42%, Yellow 4%, Orange 0%, Red 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.27
Contrast: 0.44
Vividness: 0.028
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 130 cells
Hue range: 0.22
Focus: 0.15

Details

Date: 1642
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 363.0 × 437.0 cm
Genre: schutterstuk
Made in: Netherlands
Collection: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

More by Rembrandt

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633
Belshazzar's Feast, 1636
The Jewish Bride, c. 1667
Return of the Prodigal Son, 1668