The Sea of Ice

The Sea of Ice (c. 1823) by Caspar David Friedrich. Its palette is led by muted azure blue (#8290b7, 34%) and light muted blue (#9ca9ca, 20%), with accents of putty. 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

#8290b7 MG 095 muted azure blue 33.7% of canvas
#9ca9ca MG 094 light muted blue 19.6% of canvas
#676151 MG 175 stone 18.0% of canvas
#453822 MG 177 dark taupe 17.7% of canvas
#9d927a MG 173 putty 11.0% of canvas

Color families

Brown 38%, Blue 38%, Gray 22%, Black 1%, Yellow 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.59
Contrast: 0.46
Vividness: 0.043
Warmth: -0.34
Complexity: 151 cells
Hue range: 0.51
Focus: 0.00

Composition

53% of the visual weight is in the right half, 61% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.53 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 36% 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: c. 1823
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 96.7 × 126.9 cm
Genre: landscape painting
Collection: Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg

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