The Oath of the Horatii

The Oath of the Horatii (1784) by Jacques-Louis David. Its palette is led by charcoal (#27241e, 40%) and taupe (#504942, 27%), with accents of rich orange brown and pale sand. Overall the canvas is mid-toned, muted and warm.

Color reading

Brown and black cover about four-fifths of the canvas. Its most vivid color, rich orange brown #9A4F30, takes up 5% of it.

Palette

#27241e MG 222 charcoal 39.9% of canvas
#504942 MG 176 taupe 27.5% of canvas
#938567 MG 182 golden umber 12.5% of canvas
#532c15 MG 156 dark reddish brown 11.2% of canvas
#9a4f30 MG 158 rich orange brown 5.1% of canvas
#c3bba6 MG 180 pale sand 3.9% of canvas

Color families

Brown 49%, Black 31%, Gray 17%, Yellow 1%, Orange 1%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.39
Contrast: 0.45
Vividness: 0.025
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 160 cells
Hue range: 0.41
Focus: 0.20

Composition

60% of the visual weight is in the right half, 65% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.27 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 36% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 24% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1784
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 330.0 × 425.0 cm
Genre: history painting
Collection: Department of Paintings of the Louvre

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