The Storm on the Sea of Galilee

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) by Rembrandt. Its palette is led by charcoal (#212227, 60%) and taupe (#544d41, 15%), with accents of ivory. Overall the canvas is dark, muted and warm.

Color note

Rembrandt worked from a limited, mostly earthy palette: ochres, umbers, lead white and black, warmed with vermilion and red lakes, often laid on thickly in the highlights.

Palette

#212227 MG 222 charcoal 60.1% of canvas
#544d41 MG 176 taupe 15.3% of canvas
#8f7e6a MG 174 warm grey 13.9% of canvas
#d4aa7f MG 028 light scarlet orange 8.9% of canvas
#f9e8c5 MG 200 ivory 1.7% of canvas

Color families

Black 47%, Brown 29%, Gray 13%, Orange 4%, Blue 4%

Measurements

Lightness: 0.37
Contrast: 0.59
Vividness: 0.020
Warmth: +1.00
Complexity: 106 cells
Hue range: 0.23
Focus: 0.43

Composition

81% of the visual weight is in the left half, 52% in the upper half. Symmetry 0.22 (how closely its shapes and edges mirror each other). 55% of the canvas is calm space. Half of the detail sits in 19% of the canvas. Measured from the image, not a rule the painter followed.

Details

Date: 1633
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 160.0 × 128.0 cm
Genre: religious art
Collection: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston

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More by Rembrandt

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632
Belshazzar's Feast, 1636
The Night Watch, 1642
The Jewish Bride, c. 1667
Return of the Prodigal Son, 1668