Red, Yellow and Blue in Art History

Winslow Homer, "Eight Bells"

Skillful artists organize their use of color, often by working within a very specific color harmony.  Winslow Homer did not just “happen” to end up with a red, yellow and blue painting.  The more I study, the more it becomes clear that the masters knew exactly what they were doing.

Speaking of RED, YELLOW,  and BLUE…  here are several more examples of the primary triad color harmony used by artists in a wide variety of styles and time periods:

Basquiat, untitled, 1980'2

Once you become aware of the primary triad as a conscious choice of the artist, you begin to notice it in art from all time periods and styles…

Sorolla, Before Bathing (70 x 44)

Fra Angelico, The Virgin of Humility, (1400's)

Hiroshige, 1800's (Japanese Master)

Ancient Egyptian (2000 B.C.?)

Mondrian, Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue 1927

Marc Chagall "Amourex Aux Maguerite"

Vermeer, "The Geographer" (1600's)

Willem de Kooning

Norman Rockwell, "Breaking Home Ties" 1954

Somtimes the color is more subtle.  Many of the yellows are low chroma, “dirty” yellows in this Rockwell piece.  But he gives a hit of pure yellow in the kid’s breast pocket, and a rich yellow above the hood of the truck to make a clear statement of the primary triad harmony.

Vermeer, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" (1600's)

Diebenkorn Albuquerque 9, 1952. Oil on canvas. 69 ¼” X 46”

Superman Logo

Bruegel, "Peasant Wedding" 1568

Sorolla, "Peeling Potatoes"

Lichtenstein, "Kiss"

A triad harmony is any three colors equally spaced on the color wheel.   Primary refers to the three primary colors, RED, YELLOW, & BLUE.

Vermeer, "View of Delft"