Pre-alpha release

Art credits

The paintings on this site are 17 public-domain works from museum collections, translated into pixels by a script in the site’s repository. They carry no captions on the pages; this is where each is credited. No image was generated, and none was taken from another website’s artwork.

Pixel-art translation of Constantin Meunier, Mining Region (Steenkolenstreek) (undated): a smoky industrial mining landscape of chimneys and spoil under a heavy sky.Pixel-art translation of Constantin Meunier, Mining Region (Steenkolenstreek) (undated): a smoky industrial mining landscape of chimneys and spoil under a heavy sky.

Paintings

Each is shown here by one of its crops, the way the site uses it: reduced to a fixed grid of art pixels and dithered into the same ten ember colours, so that works from 1568 to 1897 read as one family. The originals are not redistributed; follow the source links for them. 43 crops are in use, each in an ember and a sepia grade.

Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Iron Forge (1772): a blacksmith holds a glowing bar of iron on an anvil in a dark forge while his family and workmen look on.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Iron Forge (1772): a blacksmith holds a glowing bar of iron on an anvil in a dark forge while his family and workmen look on.

An Iron Forge

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
1772
Owner
Tate (T06670)
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-100-expired)
Object
Tate
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Google Arts & Culture 8QFaV4btMWcjBA
Used for
  • Home page, hero backdrop (mirrored)
  • Company details, banner above the title
Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, The Blacksmith's Shop (1771): a smith and his helpers work a glowing piece of iron in a dark workshop lit by the forge.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, The Blacksmith's Shop (1771): a smith and his helpers work a glowing piece of iron in a dark workshop lit by the forge.

The Blacksmith's Shop

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
1771
Owner
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-100-expired)
Object
Wikidata item, Yale B1981.25.712
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Google Arts & Culture YQG7cp1C1rHxag
Used for
  • Home page, beside the acquisition text
  • Workflows, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Iron Forge Viewed from Without (1773): an arched stone forge seen from outside at night, with firelight glowing in its doorway.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Iron Forge Viewed from Without (1773): an arched stone forge seen from outside at night, with firelight glowing in its doorway.

An Iron Forge Viewed from Without

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
1773
Owner
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Web Gallery of Art
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Web Gallery of Art
Used for
  • About, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples (about 1776): Mount Vesuvius erupts at night over the Bay of Naples, with glowing lava and a plume of smoke.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples (about 1776): Mount Vesuvius erupts at night over the Bay of Naples, with glowing lava and a plume of smoke.

Vesuvius in Eruption, with a View over the Islands in the Bay of Naples

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
about 1776
Owner
Tate (T05846)
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Tate
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Google Arts & Culture 2wGacn0NsRO65Q
Used for
  • Benchmarks, closing call to action
  • Legal, closing call to action
  • Licenses, closing call to action
  • the page-not-found page, banner above the title
Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus (1771): an alchemist in a vaulted laboratory sees phosphorus glow in a flask.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus (1771): an alchemist in a vaulted laboratory sees phosphorus glow in a flask.

The Alchemist Discovering Phosphorus

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
1771
Owner
Derby Museum and Art Gallery (1883-152)
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Wikidata item, Derby 1883-152
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Derby Museums
Used for
  • Glossary, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768): a lecturer shows a family a bird in a glass air pump by candlelight.Pixel-art translation of Joseph Wright of Derby, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768): a lecturer shows a family a bird in a glass air pump by candlelight.

An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump

Artist
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 to 1797)
Date
1768
Owner
National Gallery, London
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
National Gallery
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; National Gallery
Used for
  • Home page, band above the bench section
  • Benchmarks, banner above the title
  • Licenses, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of Adolph Menzel, The Iron Rolling Mill (Modern Cyclops) (1872 to 1875): workers in a vast iron rolling mill handle a glowing bar of iron.Pixel-art translation of Adolph Menzel, The Iron Rolling Mill (Modern Cyclops) (1872 to 1875): workers in a vast iron rolling mill handle a glowing bar of iron.

The Iron Rolling Mill (Modern Cyclops)

Artist
Adolph Menzel (1815 to 1905)
Date
1872 to 1875
Owner
Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Licence
Public domain (PD-art-two-auto)
Object
Wikidata item, Alte Nationalgalerie
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Google Arts & Culture pgFVPI1J1YGXZA
Used for
  • Home page, closing call to action
  • Glossary, closing call to action
  • Get started, banner above the title
  • Acceptable use, closing call to action
  • the page-not-found page, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of Philip James de Loutherbourg, Coalbrookdale by Night (1801): the furnaces of Coalbrookdale glow red against the night sky above a dark valley.Pixel-art translation of Philip James de Loutherbourg, Coalbrookdale by Night (1801): the furnaces of Coalbrookdale glow red against the night sky above a dark valley.

Coalbrookdale by Night

Artist
Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740 to 1812)
Date
1801
Owner
Science Museum Group, London
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Web Gallery of Art
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Web Gallery of Art
Used for
  • Workflows, closing call to action
  • Operators, banner above the title
  • Compare, closing call to action
  • Privacy, closing call to action
  • Security policy, banner above the title
  • Company details, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of J. M. W. Turner, The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 (1834 to 1835): the Houses of Parliament burn at night, with the fire reflected in the Thames.Pixel-art translation of J. M. W. Turner, The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834 (1834 to 1835): the Houses of Parliament burn at night, with the fire reflected in the Thames.

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16 October 1834

Artist
J. M. W. Turner (1775 to 1851)
Date
1834 to 1835
Owner
Cleveland Museum of Art (1942.647), open access CC0
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-100-expired; Cleveland Museum of Art open access (CC0))
Object
Cleveland Museum of Art
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Cleveland Museum of Art
Used for
  • Home page, band above the lineage section
  • Lineage, strip under the title
  • Lineage, closing call to action
  • Get started, closing call to action
  • Security policy, closing call to action
  • Accessibility, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of J. M. W. Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway (1844): a steam locomotive crosses a railway bridge in rain and mist, its firebox glowing.Pixel-art translation of J. M. W. Turner, Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway (1844): a steam locomotive crosses a railway bridge in rain and mist, its firebox glowing.

Rain, Steam and Speed: The Great Western Railway

Artist
J. M. W. Turner (1775 to 1851)
Date
1844
Owner
National Gallery, London (NG538)
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
National Gallery
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; National Gallery
Used for
  • Home page, band above the lifecycle section
  • Architecture, banner above the title
  • FAQ, closing call to action
  • Brand and press, closing call to action
  • Cookies, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of Claude Monet, Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare (1877): a steam train arrives under the iron-and-glass roof of the Gare Saint-Lazare in clouds of steam.Pixel-art translation of Claude Monet, Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare (1877): a steam train arrives under the iron-and-glass roof of the Gare Saint-Lazare in clouds of steam.

Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare

Artist
Claude Monet (1840 to 1926)
Date
1877
Owner
Art Institute of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-1923)
Object
Wikidata item, Art Institute of Chicago
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Google Arts & Culture _gHKDt1FQ51WQA
Used for
  • Home page, band above the run section
  • Architecture, closing call to action
  • Roadmap, strip under the title
  • About, closing call to action
  • Trademarks, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of Maximilien Luce, Factories near Charleroi (Usines près de Charleroi) (1897): factory chimneys and furnaces near Charleroi smoke under a hazy sky.Pixel-art translation of Maximilien Luce, Factories near Charleroi (Usines près de Charleroi) (1897): factory chimneys and furnaces near Charleroi smoke under a hazy sky.

Factories near Charleroi (Usines près de Charleroi)

Artist
Maximilien Luce (1858 to 1941)
Date
1897
Owner
Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto (the painter died in 1941; also public domain in the United States, as a work of 1897))
Object
Wikidata item, Orsay RF 1990 27
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Photograph by Paul Hermans
Used for
  • Operators, closing call to action
  • Compare, banner above the title
  • Roadmap, closing call to action
  • Trademarks, banner above the title
  • Accessibility, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of Constantin Meunier, Mining Region (Steenkolenstreek) (undated): a smoky industrial mining landscape of chimneys and spoil under a heavy sky.Pixel-art translation of Constantin Meunier, Mining Region (Steenkolenstreek) (undated): a smoky industrial mining landscape of chimneys and spoil under a heavy sky.

Mining Region (Steenkolenstreek)

Artist
Constantin Meunier (1831 to 1905)
Date
undated
Owner
Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (2041)
Licence
Public domain (PD-art, PD-old-100-expired)
Object
Wikidata item, KMSKA 2041
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; KMSKA Antwerp
Used for
  • Security model, closing call to action
  • Art credits, strip under the title
  • Art credits, closing call to action
  • Privacy, banner above the title
  • Terms, closing call to action
Pixel-art translation of Gustave Courbet, The Stonebreakers (1849): two labourers break stones by a roadside.Pixel-art translation of Gustave Courbet, The Stonebreakers (1849): two labourers break stones by a roadside.

The Stonebreakers

Artist
Gustave Courbet (1819 to 1877)
Date
1849
Owner
formerly Gemäldegalerie, Dresden; destroyed in 1945. Shown from a reproduction
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Web Gallery of Art
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Web Gallery of Art
Used for
  • Home page, band above the durable section
  • Legal, banner above the title
Pixel-art translation of Diego Velázquez, The Forge of Vulcan (1630): Apollo brings news to Vulcan and his workers at the forge.Pixel-art translation of Diego Velázquez, The Forge of Vulcan (1630): Apollo brings news to Vulcan and his workers at the forge.

The Forge of Vulcan

Artist
Diego Velázquez (1599 to 1660)
Date
1630
Owner
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Museo del Prado
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Museo del Prado
Used for
  • Home page, band above the principles section
  • Brand and press, banner above the title
  • Terms, strip under the title
Pixel-art translation of Louis Le Nain, The Forge (La Forge) (about 1640 to 1642): a smith, his family and his workmen gather around the forge in a dim room.Pixel-art translation of Louis Le Nain, The Forge (La Forge) (about 1640 to 1642): a smith, his family and his workmen gather around the forge in a dim room.

The Forge (La Forge)

Artist
Louis Le Nain (about 1593 to 1648)
Date
about 1640 to 1642
Owner
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Licence
Public domain (painting in the public domain; photograph CC0 (Grégory Lejeune))
Object
Wikidata item, Louvre INV 6838
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Photograph by Grégory Lejeune
Used for
  • Home page, band above the integrations section
  • Security model, strip under the title
  • Acceptable use, banner above the title
Pixel-art translation of Jan Brueghel the Elder, Fire (Allegory of Fire) (1606): an allegory of fire: a crowded scene of forges, furnaces and burning tools.Pixel-art translation of Jan Brueghel the Elder, Fire (Allegory of Fire) (1606): an allegory of fire: a crowded scene of forges, furnaces and burning tools.

Fire (Allegory of Fire)

Artist
Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568 to 1625)
Date
1606
Owner
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (A75)
Licence
Public domain (PD-Art, PD-old-auto-expired)
Object
Wikidata item, MBA Lyon A 75
Source
Wikimedia Commons file; Photograph by Rama
Used for
  • Home page, band above the faq section
  • FAQ, banner above the title
  • Cookies, strip under the title

How a painting becomes pixels

The treatment is a script, art/build.py in the ogun-site repository, and it gives the same output every time.

  1. Crop the original to a chosen box with the target aspect and reduce it to a fixed grid: 480 by 300 art pixels for the hero, 480 by 96 for the wide bands on pages and between sections, 560 by 200 for a panorama behind a closing call to action.
  2. Stretch the tones: a black point and a white point from the image’s own quantiles, half-strength local contrast, and a gamma chosen per painting so that the dark parts stay dark. Pale, misty paintings (Turner’s locomotive, Monet’s station) are inverted first, so that the engine and the rails become the hot iron.
  3. Map the luminance onto a ten-colour ramp from iron black through rust, ember and amber to bone, using an 8 by 8 Bayer ordered dither. A second ramp, sepia, keeps the same tones on bone paper for the light theme.
  4. Store the result as an indexed PNG at the grid size (8 to 33 kilobytes) and draw it at 2 to 4 CSS pixels per art pixel with image-rendering: pixelated.

Ògún is the Yoruba orisha of iron. The site shows European forges, foundries and fires from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, painted by their own contemporaries, and nothing that depicts the orisha or any sacred object. See About.

Typefaces and icons

TypefaceCopyrightLicenceLicence text
EB GaramondCopyright 2017 The EB Garamond Project AuthorsSIL OFL 1.1LICENSE-eb-garamond.txt
IBM Plex SansCopyright 2019 IBM Corp.SIL OFL 1.1LICENSE-ibm-plex-sans.txt
IBM Plex MonoCopyright 2017 IBM Corp.SIL OFL 1.1LICENSE-ibm-plex-mono.txt
Departure MonoCopyright 2022 to 2024 Helena ZhangSIL OFL 1.1LICENSE-departure-mono.txt

All four are self-hosted under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. Departure Mono draws the wordmark and the small labels; the wordmark’s pixels are read from its glyph outlines by art/wordmark.py. The operating-system logos on the download cards are from Simple Icons (CC0).

Read the design

The decisions and first-draft specifications are public, and the runtime is being tested. Feedback is most useful now, before the contracts are frozen.

Read the architecture See the roadmap