The Oxbow

The Oxbow (1836) by Thomas Cole. Its palette is led by pale grey (#d2c8ca, 30%) and taupe (#545133, 15%), with accents of golden olive, amber brown and light amber gold. Overall the canvas is light, moderately saturated and warm.

Color reading

Brown and gray cover about two-thirds of the canvas. Its most vivid color, light amber gold #C5A854, takes up 6% of it.

Palette

#d2c8ca MG 212 pale grey 30.0% of canvas
#545133 MG 176 taupe 14.9% of canvas
#837336 MG 192 golden olive 12.8% of canvas
#94867b MG 165 amber brown 12.5% of canvas
#3c3e2a MG 177 dark taupe 12.2% of canvas
#242b1b MG 219 bistre 11.2% of canvas
#c5a854 MG 037 light amber gold 6.5% of canvas

Color families

Brown 52%, Gray 13%, Green 10%, White 10%, Yellow 9%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.59
Contrast: 0.60
Vividness: 0.039
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 124 cells
Hue range: 0.40
Focus: 0.20

Composition

70% of the visual weight is in the left half, 67% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.32 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 46% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 26% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1836
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 130.8 × 193.0 cm
Genre: landscape painting
Made in: United States
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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