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…

Fra Angelico

Fra Angelico painted paradise in pigment. His frescoes radiate with ultramarine blue, vermilion, and gold leaf — colors chosen not for naturalism but for spiritual transcendence.

Palette: #987A5A #CAA05F #795330 #9E6336 #A77E47 #DED6CB #8F4224 #C57738

  • Madonna and Child (1433): #B97B2F #3E5F8C #956B36 #8D9CA4 #97501C #2E486E
  • Coronation of the Virgin (1944): #8B654B #4E5A83 #644835 #282D3B #4E372A #332C25
  • Saint Francis and a Bishop Saint, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Dominic (late 1420s): #AC7E3B #61512E #111308 #2A240B #8A7E54 #694015
  • Madonna van de Nederigheid (1440): #8F713E #3A434E #674E2C #4F5C6E #AA9568 #626156
  • Painting: #1B2420 #583F2F #37322A #8C654A #342619 #FAE9D0
  • Kopf eines Hl. Mönchs: #927958 #B29F86 #8B663E #6E4F34 #4D4A4C #513B2A
  • Scenes from the Lives of the Desert Fathers (Thebaid) (1420): #170E0D #5D5936 #332419 #593F24 #B6A88B #9A8868
  • Virgin of Humility: #A37A2B #254572 #9B7C4E #C2972A #653D11 #705328
  • The Dominican Blessed (1424): #20201F #A39778 #7C6533 #696045 #4A3F1D #383531
  • Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven (1424): #A87E37 #D2A862 #7C4F1F #AF936F #906B43 #191B34
  • Nativity (2014): #211E17 #6C461E #40321D #581E0F #5D4D35 #342E21
  • Saint Peter Martyr (1438): #997448 #724D28 #E4D2B5 #1D1822 #BF9C70 #595660
  • Saint Anthony Abbot Shunning the Mass of Gold (1430): #0F1508 #727352 #C6B36C #674B10 #4A4D34 #2F290B
  • The Apostle Saint James the Greater Freeing the Magician Hermogenes (1427): #A7A88C #827D54 #D04C32 #E9CDAF #C49871 #1D1811
  • Mary of the Annuciation (1422): #9C7E47 #3F4A5A #7B5B39 #5B6A7C #C2A964 #6F4A31
  • Angel of the Annunciation (1422): #9A7C44 #654235 #91624A #6C4A29 #836134 #47311E
  • Saint Michael Archangel Makes the Sea Withdraw to Leave a Passage for a Woman Who Gave Birth on a Pilgrimage to Tumba, and Saint Michael Archangel and the Bull of Monte Gargano (1943): #8B8271 #72593B #6C614E #484033 #28241D #B3A896
  • The Vision of Pope Innocent III; Saints Peter and Paul Appearing to Saint Dominic (1937): #A29789 #70604F #44392E #221E19 #906A51 #525666
  • Annunciation (2022-2103): #9A645B #BAAB65 #6F6F57 #ACA487 #D6C79D #213843
  • Coronation of the Virgin (1944): #815F46 #4D5981 #553C2C #23201E #262A38 #313851
  • Scenes from Thebaid (1430): #D9D2B5 #504936 #816D43 #8B8271 #B0915F #624826
  • Saint Joseph (?) (2018): #CA9F5F #A16D31 #583212 #F3D78F #774D26 #4B3D34
  • Visitation (1430): #71491E #352415 #A86D27 #24211A #BD9A4E #69705E
  • Virgin Annunciate (1450): #976836 #9C3E46 #BE9F7D #75421C #597790 #C18D4C
  • Saint Matthew (1423): #AB6251 #C3957D #E9D7CB #A47045 #8E3E2B #492612
  • Conversion of Saint Augustine (1430): #424032 #26261F #726A4F #DDA574 #D8BE99 #B8522A
  • Story of Saint Nicholas (1437): #C8AF96 #6C5949 #2B2423 #77503D #B45E48 #97836A
  • Madonna and Child with Saints (1410): #A98632 #1B150D #CCC196 #7B785B #CBB563 #452008
  • The Penitent Saint Jerome (1963): #68593B #332F21 #A56E36 #C4934E #48402A #7F4520
  • Meeting of St Francis and St Dominic (1429): #C5A067 #5B421F #665B3C #1D1813 #3D2C18 #876635
  • The Lamentation Over St Francis (1429): #816C47 #463B23 #AB9C72 #2F2612 #526876 #5B461E
  • Apparition of Saint Francis in Arles (1429): #A5774D #4D2C24 #825034 #C5A277 #2C1515 #A85C3C
  • Piercing of Christ's Side (1450): #CAB49B #A38B74 #826854 #2F3436 #171317 #775139
  • Christ in Garden of Gethsemane (1450): #BA987E #8E6E5B #6A4E41 #352727 #E3C4A7 #170D10
  • Flight Into Egypt (1450): #0B0302 #4B331C #804B28 #2B0A02 #3E1605 #732E0C
  • Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem (1450): #BD9A7E #120402 #885B3C #68646B #A55F39 #962710
  • The Vision of Ezekiel (1450): #95774B #CCC2B0 #D5B975 #495F8F #554B2B #0E1210
  • Saint Bernard (1438): #BF754B #673F36 #361812 #94695C #642E1F #4C2720
  • Madonna and Child with Augustine and Thomas: #D9CEC0 #B5A796 #91796B #612F29 #6C4F48 #330E0E
  • Madonna and Child Enthroned with Nine Angels and Saints Dominic and Catherine of Alexandria (1435): #C49746 #16121F #A46E2F #9C261A #895122 #AD462B
  • Christ on the Cross with Saints Nicholas and Francis (1430): #EDEBE9 #C9BFBD #181108 #884718 #332313 #AA9C9A
  • Disrobement of Christ: #9C6D62 #D7D8EE #A8B6EC #725864 #822B37 #35222E
  • Lamentation of Christ: #AC9E9E #573B42 #806E6B #946360 #A3B2DD #D1D4DE
  • Marriage of the Virgin (1434): #C49F6D #8D5F2D #58687C #AD4A2D #D5BD96 #957851
  • Saint Roch (1438): #C0764C #200D0B #51291E #7D503C #692617 #361711
  • Francis of Assisi Before the Sultan Al-Kamil Muhammad Al-Malik (1429): #CDB590 #111511 #2B381A #2C75A9 #917844 #5498C1
  • Head of an Angel (ca. 1928): #BE9732 #352B17 #987026 #C1AC7A #7C4A17 #33485F
  • Dormition of Virgin Mary (1430): #C29352 #D0B48C #73869C #98642B #B65D52 #91744A
  • Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata (1440): #0D0A0E #271F22 #9D8E64 #6B5941 #43342C #CDC485
  • St Thomas Aquinas (1438): #986B3C #170D0D #BDA693 #4B2A15 #714929 #9F7F5E
  • St. Nicholas of Myra (1427): #CC3A22 #BA7E46 #3A2019 #CE5A41 #935A30 #241D3E
  • Penitent St Jerome (1424): #C28C5C #383830 #605643 #86735A #9B5D3A #775139
  • Christ as Man of Sorrows Flanked by Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist (Predella (ca. 1966): #86744A #615134 #BBA877 #2B2A22 #784736 #4C3B1F
  • Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Cecilia (Predella (ca. 1966): #80724C #5E5233 #B5A77D #433D28 #32332C #EEE6C2
  • Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Agnes (Predella (ca. 1966): #7D6E45 #5C4E2C #BAAC7E #3C3218 #3B4C62 #3F4332
  • The Annunciation (ca. 1850): #BFAB95 #8D8C8F #9A836A #8E6335 #775F4B #BEA172
  • The Miracle of the Grain Ships (1437): #28272D #655247 #9094AB #8C7E6D #B7B1A9 #6B78AB
  • St John the Baptist: #C68961 #6E4844 #584B53 #774331 #9F6242 #A66A66
  • St Lawrence Distributing Alms (Detail) (1450): #261D22 #715E56 #D7C4B1 #484452 #9E8E85 #B39374
  • Madonna of Humility (1450): #D2A566 #322F2D #8E805F #584B36 #EFDEA2 #4A526B
  • Lamentation Over the Dead Christ (1436): #4B3F24 #AF7D43 #805A31 #ACA28B #767142 #BD5036
  • Communion of the Apostles (1450): #B5A482 #8F6C35 #D0C4B7 #776D50 #A2885A #371909
  • Saints Cosmas and Damian and Their Brothers Surviving the Stake (1438): #DEB783 #9E7349 #3E2317 #6B290C #B45618 #942A06
  • Ordination of St Laurence (1447): #A69487 #73645F #45383B #A37C4F #171216 #32324A
  • Christ Crowned with Thorns (1430): #4C3525 #A28D58 #6C5132 #99693A #17110D #CA3620
  • Crucifixion with St Dominic Praying (1438): #393B3B #89785D #BDAF94 #615444 #533F2C #212424
  • Crucifixion of Saints Cosmas and Damian (1439): #905D3D #9C9989 #433921 #716348 #6D7674 #B58B68
  • The Beheading of Saints Cosmas and Damian (1440): #595944 #67472E #637BA4 #C2BCAD #8F6E4E #466296
  • The Healing of Justinian by Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian (1439): #6C5A44 #B49371 #8C7356 #D2A267 #AA7A4E #D9C1A0
  • The Healing of Palladia by Saints Cosmas and Damian (1438): #E4D695 #3F221A #9A7B48 #6E4728 #A4652C #B92505
  • The Naming of Saint John the Baptist (1450): #BA9C69 #3B1E18 #504737 #474956 #A65139 #806546
  • Perugia Altarpiece (1438): #BAA164 #9C7B43 #999580 #7D5D34 #C9CCBD #312A20
  • San Marco Altarpiece (1500): #DCBB8F #A28061 #BB8153 #875733 #482715 #4F3C35
  • Annunciation of Cortona (1430): #A47F5D #5C3B20 #B58343 #412D20 #7E5C3D #CBA986
  • Deposition of Christ (1500): #9C6932 #8A714F #3C2B16 #5C4931 #6F6D6A #C29958
  • Armadio Degli Argenti (1450): #7A644D #733A22 #473723 #281E0F #9D6B4A #421A0A
  • Madonna of Humility (1433): #456887 #87713F #AE924A #A8946D #284061 #C1AE96
  • Annunciation of San Giovanni Valdarno (1430): #B9905E #C8873C #7A5835 #5B2B0A #382817 #98531A
  • The Last Judgment (1431): #C0C1C2 #523E25 #976A44 #A88B6E #406A94 #362613
  • Adoration of the Magi (1430): #060706 #A17B3A #D9AA71 #E1C0AD #6D4B19 #957A61
  • San Pietro Martire Triptych (1420): #D1A976 #A27140 #C1AD99 #EECFA7 #104770 #DBA664
  • Madonna and Child Enthroned and Twelve Angels (1420): #A88942 #937C5C #5C5031 #2B2E36 #352D15 #7C5730
  • Madonna with Child (1500): #A16F12 #364144 #10140F #825412 #C79214 #C2955A
  • Compagnia di San Francesco Altarpiece (1420): #BEBEBF #875533 #AA6C33 #4F2F21 #BF8D50 #702B19
  • Martyrdom of St Lawrence (1447): #BCB091 #3A3433 #897C63 #604531 #665A4C #1D1B1D
  • Entombment of Christ (1438): #DAC9B4 #7A7156 #B19E81 #36362C #4C4429 #D49D6B
  • Lunette of the North Wall (1447): #9F8967 #634B34 #D1C09D #393739 #6C6151 #412D1F
  • Presentation at the Temple (1440): #BDA58C #6F5646 #9E7D60 #E5D3BE #4B3530 #986B3E
  • The Saints Cosmas and Damian with Their Brothers Before the Proconsul Lysias (1438): #BFA284 #937E63 #67584A #3B4566 #964033 #503730
  • Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian Salvaged (1438): #91936B #E8C873 #62563B #CACB9C #C2873B #A36830
  • Condemnation of St Lawrence by the Emperor Valerian (1447): #A08064 #473E3A #7F7D7E #512F26 #0F0D0F #774C37
  • St Lawrence Distributing Alms (1447): #736A69 #C4AFA4 #36333B #151015 #9B8D88 #B18971
  • Saint Thomas Aquinas (1442): #AE875D #52413A #502F23 #877362 #8B5C38 #2E211B
  • Lunette of the East Wall in Niccoline Chapel (1447): #91876F #4E4A3B #23304E #273969 #A16D3F #D5B782
  • Lunette of the West Wall in Niccoline Chapel (1447): #7E7161 #B6A694 #4A4239 #2E2721 #E2D5C7 #121010
  • Sepulchring of Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian (1438): #D8C2A1 #BA9B80 #825C34 #53402C #AEAA9E #726D71
  • Tabernacle of the Linaioli (1433): #2B1B1F #90593C #F2C790 #A9463B #56392F #D8994E
  • Triptych of the Last Judgment, Ascension, and Pentecost (1447): #C7A883 #644C32 #CC9B4E #CACACA #9C6B35 #9B7C58
  • Triptych: the Last Judgment (1437): #AA8846 #746241 #1C1A1F #3A2F23 #A69471 #D1B46F
  • Adoring Angel, Looking Right (1731): #C1AD64 #95784E #AF9098 #8A5C66 #715739 #3C527D
  • Adoring Angel, Looking Left (2002): #976433 #AD8183 #B48A4D #CCAD61 #322F24 #534E46
  • God the Father (1973): #D3CDCB #1C2349 #CAAC5E #805833 #AC853A #222C66
  • Beheading of St. John the Baptist and Herod's Banquet (1430): #8A6245 #97A9A0 #D5C8B0 #62766C #643229 #444B40
  • The Crucifixion (1440): #A1835B #191317 #423426 #6E4921 #815E37 #C1AA94
  • A Bishop Saint (1425): #A47A31 #05101E #887245 #865D1F #AB300D #6A4010
  • Madonna and Child with Two Angels (1420): #E0E0E0 #89613A #B79461 #3A3836 #983E26 #573C24
  • The Madonna of Humility (1430): #A87227 #3C445C #93908B #8B5927 #C6932B #DFB237
  • Saint Jerome (1438): #C27046 #4F2619 #97684D #33150F #250E0B #6B1E12
  • The Flagellation of Christ (1450): #AAA5AF #5F4754 #84737E #3B2234 #3F091B #541924
  • Capture of Jesus Christ (1450): #3A2535 #856B67 #767FBE #B1AAB5 #E0DBD7 #996248
  • The Glorification of St Dominic (1430): #DBC4A1 #C9A16C #585F6F #A67531 #937C54 #774F1E
  • Maesta with Twelve Angels (1500): #9C856B #F3E5DE #9B7843 #BEA068 #5C574B #302D24
  • The Entombment of Christ (1450): #CAB885 #493B1E #968654 #6C5F33 #8A6728 #231F13
  • The Meeting of Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi (1420): #433A2A #917755 #624F36 #262422 #96492A #BEA17C
  • Saint Anthony Abbot (2001): #39291E #BD9D60 #161218 #9E7C4F #5A4228 #7A5937
  • Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Peter, Paul and George (?), Four Angels, and a Donor (1447): #1C191E #926F45 #2C2C2E #C4A05E #6D522F #1D3159
  • Dormition of the Virgin (1425): #7E6747 #B87A41 #B89D72 #4A3924 #888C8F #676352
  • The Papacy Offered to Saint Gregory the Great [?] (1435): #A88F51 #6D693E #4A4C2B #353C20 #856134 #C1AF7B
  • Saint Romuald (1438): #A88D4C #5D4B23 #866F3E #988A63 #87582F #443415
  • The Nativity (1425): #6B5F41 #44361F #795826 #33291A #58290E #572224
  • Stigmatization of St Francis of Assisi and Death of St Peter the Martyr (1436): #9A8664 #63563E #0C0707 #4A3924 #322417 #7C5536
  • Saint Romuald Forbidding Entry to the Monastery to Emperor Otton III (1430): #5F512E #85734C #332D19 #563C23 #828679 #76381D
  • Madonna of the Pomegranate (1426): #AC8A41 #CFAB57 #4977A6 #1E3866 #1F2B47 #8C834B
  • Saint Francis and a Bishop Saint (1420): #BE9E51 #7C6939 #321E10 #67695D #534021 #996D2B
  • Saint John the Baptist and Saint Dominic (1420): #211911 #927F3F #CBA34D #68511D #DAC782 #AA8235
  • Blessing Redeemer (1422): #A18654 #382623 #887158 #C4B28D #77562C #E0D7CB
  • Saint Romulus (1424): #9A814B #252E36 #755C2B #A29473 #936869 #523E20
  • The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs (1423): #BD905F #B38131 #8D652F #1E160D #E4C392 #495036
  • The Virgin Mary with the Apostles and Other Saints (1423): #BB8F65 #B37E35 #8F5F34 #E0B26B #19130E #7E4315
  • Madonna and Child with Four АNgels (1420): #AB7C1C #8F6122 #653C11 #D2D2CE #8B3C19 #6C1309
  • The Annunciation (1959): #080606 #6B472B #916E4A #D5BDA5 #3C4465 #814B2D
  • Madonna and Child with Angels (1425): #435076 #323D52 #BE9131 #A41329 #AD7021 #524231
  • Saint Mark (1423): #972515 #A8543D #A67242 #EDE1D8 #2A170E #804626
  • The Martyrdom of Saint Mark (1433): #523E2D #D1B39B #CE5F4B #2D1F1A #C89766 #9FADBD
  • Dormition and Assumption of the Virgin (1429): #AF9761 #C7BFB6 #DAC37B #82776C #846D42 #473722

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