American Modernism · 1926

The Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y.

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887–1986

Still in copyright: the image isn't shown, only the colors measured from it.

The Shelton with Sunspots, N.Y. (1926) by Georgia O'Keeffe. Its palette is led by bone (#c3beb3, 33%) and taupe (#5c5044, 22%), with accents of rich orange ochre and light amber gold. Overall the canvas is light, muted and warm.

Color reading

Brown covers about three-quarters of the canvas. Its most vivid color, rich orange ochre #8C6637, takes up 10% of it.

Palette

#c3beb3 MG 171 bone 32.7% of canvas
#5c5044 MG 176 taupe 22.3% of canvas
#998d7f MG 173 putty 18.0% of canvas
#443c35 MG 177 dark taupe 16.3% of canvas
#8c6637 MG 178 rich orange ochre 10.1% of canvas
#c6ad57 MG 037 light amber gold 0.7% of canvas

Color families

Brown 76%, Gray 22%, Orange 1%, Yellow 1%, Black 0%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.59
Contrast: 0.47
Vividness: 0.022
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 142 cells
Hue range: 0.24
Focus: 0.00

Composition

57% of the visual weight is in the left half, 67% in the lower half. Symmetry 0.33 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 47% 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: 1926
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 122 × 76 cm
Made in: United States
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago