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…

El Greco

El Greco's palette exists nowhere in nature — acid yellows, electric blues, and flesh rendered in grey-green. His color is spiritual rather than observational, light emanating from within.

Palette: #221C18 #A2917F #3F3529 #6D422E #7F6D50 #A36E39 #CEA662 #70380C

  • The Annunciation (1614): #B2ABA1 #7B7161 #3F3B32 #513A29 #B58D81 #0A0A09
  • Opening of the Fifth Seal (1610): #716762 #CFC9C2 #AE9C8E #17243A #441F1C #7A5D3D
  • Martiriul Sfântului Mauriciu Sau Martiriul Celor Zece MII de Tebani: #60312B #7A7A87 #9B7B6D #9EA8B7 #CDB1A5 #43191A
  • The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen (ca. 1590-95): #2A2E2E #747C76 #CABAA1 #48504D #34251F #514638
  • Christ on the Cross (ca. 1600-10): #2D2D27 #4E5144 #686A57 #3D3222 #C3B08B #958C6F
  • Logodna Fecioarei: #A18078 #70484B #C9BEAB #321415 #50221C #723927
  • Adorația Păstorilor: #97847C #795E65 #C1AB9C #452449 #62465E #E4D1B9
  • The Disrobing of Christ (1583): #5E4F3D #DECAAC #877156 #43342A #75746E #AC967A
  • St. Andrew and St. Francis (1595): #5A5550 #20201A #637A86 #275A20 #43732B #C7C4BF
  • Lamentation (1571): #5C565F #221B14 #675135 #43321F #88848B #AEA795
  • Portrait of Antonio de Covarrubias (1590): #130E11 #4A3C31 #322827 #C0A78F #E1CEB8 #6E5D56
  • Portrait of Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli (1600): #1E1A14 #0B0908 #DFD9C4 #C0B69E #9C9179 #78684A
  • The Burial of the Count of Orgaz (1586): #6F6C5C #09070C #463F36 #2F2825 #1D181A #C5C2B7
  • Saint James the Younger (1595): #557879 #A48A71 #4B5734 #15150E #93A49A #4B2D26
  • Saints Peter and Paul (1587): #0F0101 #986D2D #644509 #C1995D #402105 #230201
  • Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist (1600): #96918D #151815 #826949 #3F3429 #E2D6CD #CBA185
  • Portrait of a Sculptor (1577): #0E0C0F #76634F #2A2122 #463934 #665D5A #9F9895
  • The Assumption of the Virgin (1577): #827360 #2F221B #49382E #B59E8E #AE8F5F #62523F
  • Saint Veronica Holding the Veil (1580): #ECEEF0 #070A0E #C2C5CB #666568 #313130 #959497
  • St Francis and Brother Leo Meditating on Death (1600): #0A0305 #A19071 #200A0F #69543E #2D1412 #3C241C
  • Portrait of the Poet Alonso Ercilla y Zuniga (1570): #410B04 #0C0201 #260302 #C57B32 #5B2F09 #75440E
  • Adoration of the Kings (1560): #976729 #604820 #2A2414 #454028 #6F4714 #6A6443
  • Allegory of the Order of the Camaldolese (1600): #342E1C #0A0506 #1D130B #554E30 #7A6A32 #807655
  • Christ as Savior (1610): #100A06 #E2BDA5 #648381 #290E09 #BA8F7D #421613
  • Mount Sinai (1570): #181214 #5F493F #362C2A #7B563B #967A60 #BB8A55
  • Christ Healing the Blind (ca. 1570): #53473A #9C8A70 #756149 #3C2F25 #617685 #243442
  • Saint Andrew (ca. 1610): #3F493E #17140D #291D0E #282B23 #78592B #432F15

The Palette

The Works

How the palette changed

Chromatic Comparison

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