Italian Renaissance · 1485

Venus and Mars

Sandro Botticelli 1445–1510

Venus and Mars (1485) by Sandro Botticelli. Its palette is led by putty (#9f927f, 20%) and bone (#dec8ab, 19%), with accents of golden umber, light muted blue, muted red and rich sienna. Overall the canvas is light, moderately saturated and warm.

Palette

• #9f927f MG 173 putty 20.0% of canvas
• #dec8ab MG 171 bone 18.5% of canvas
• #7d6e54 MG 183 golden umber 18.0% of canvas
• #2d2a26 MG 222 charcoal 17.2% of canvas
• #524a3b MG 176 taupe 15.1% of canvas
• #9cb1c8 MG 094 light muted blue 7.9% of canvas
• #a15f65 MG 012 muted red 1.6% of canvas
• #773a32 MG 147 rich sienna 1.6% of canvas

Color families

Brown 48%, Gray 23%, Black 10%, White 7%, Blue 3%

Measurements

Lightness

0.57

Contrast

0.64

Vividness

0.033

Warmth

+0.89

Complexity

256 cells

Hue range

0.53

Focus

0.02

Details

Date

1485

Medium

Tempera and oil on poplar panel and plaster

Size

69.2 × 173.9 cm

Genre

mythological painting

Collection

National Gallery, London

More by Sandro Botticelli

• Adoration of the Magi, c. 1475
• Primavera, 1480s
• The Birth of Venus, 1485