The Colorist
Archive

A living archive of how artists work with color across time. Each artist profile scans publicly available works to trace dominant colors, a chromatic fingerprint, and the arc of a palette across a lifetime.A living archive of how artists work with color across time, tracing palettes, fingerprints, and lifetime arcs from public works.

Begin with an artist, carry a palette into the drawing system, or read the wider project.Begin with an artist, carry a palette into the drawing system, or read the wider project.

Scanning works…

Caravaggio

Caravaggio painted light itself — a single source cutting through darkness, modeling form with ruthless precision. His palette is restricted: deep blacks, warm flesh, flashes of red and white.

Palette: #261B17 #E1CDAD #443022 #B9976A #946E45 #5C3520 #7B4F2A #BC4123

  • The Cardsharps (1594): #2B281F #4A3826 #774B2A #211B14 #6D5C39 #E9BB75
  • The Musicians (1597): #201307 #98846B #433726 #36210C #5A5244 #735841
  • The Denial of Saint Peter (1610): #0C0802 #241407 #432811 #674424 #92754A
  • The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew (1606): #180E07 #2A1D12 #8F6039 #341F0E #583419 #BC9067
  • David with the Head of Goliath (1605): #0C0D0A #372114 #DAB58E #211611 #B38A6F #623A28
  • Saint John the Baptist (1598): #0E0D09 #393816 #F7DAAD #3B1911 #762F1A #F36258
  • Boy Bitten by a Lizard (1597): #282219 #5D4D34 #14130C #B09170 #463727 #836A50
  • Supper at Emmaus (1601): #211516 #3E2A23 #573729 #784E37 #F1F1DE #050506
  • Amor Vincit Omnia (1601): #170F16 #CEB796 #523629 #331C1B #A68D6B #7A5D43
  • Death of the Virgin (1603): #2D1D1B #45271F #211518 #923727 #6E3526 #AB5834
  • Saint Jerome Penitent (1600): #130D08 #28170C #922516 #A77A53 #BEA286 #3A1207
  • Narcissuss (1600): #2C2322 #633C2C #422923 #90674C #DBC3A7 #B99473
  • The Burial of Saint Lucy (1608): #63361A #804B20 #25160E #412617 #090503 #9D7534
  • The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula (1610): #040404 #281308 #43210F #1C0802 #75200C #CD3719
  • The Entombment of Christ (1600): #12110F #E9C388 #F4E5C5 #4F2B15 #6D3415 #A17337
  • Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence (1600): #201E1D #0D0C0B #442F28 #BB924C #704D30 #CDB883
  • The Conversion of Saint Paul (1600): #0D0908 #392314 #60381D #231911 #90572A #261008
  • Portrait of Pope Paul V (1605): #17181C #E3E1E2 #987358 #391F19 #47403E #BBB0A8
  • The Flagellation of Christ (1607): #0D0B07 #2B2016 #4B3929 #F2CC9B #E1A771 #906948
  • Conversion on the Way to Damascus (1600): #0F0A0A #2B2215 #B39750 #DCD3AA #45351E #5A4220
  • Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (1607): #131319 #322420 #EDDDBA #D5A57C #654736 #996C50
  • Portrait of a Gentleman (Scipione Borghese?) (1601): #1E1718 #523B29 #3C291C #CCA898 #BB856B #87614F
  • Boy Peeling Pears (1592): #090802 #5F3C26 #DCC89F #B7986F #966C48 #20150A
  • Christ on the Cross (ca. 1615-20): #D5D5D5 #3B251C #9E9E9C #785334 #B68750 #757473
  • Saint Jerome Writing (1607): #160A11 #331712 #55291A #261516 #AE441C #F3D59C

The Palette

The Works

How the palette changed

Chromatic Comparison

0 artists selected
Copied!