19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

In the Sun Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from In the Sun by Charles-Edouard de Beaumont, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Light Green for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Soft Green to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Red works best in a single textile.

Date
1875
Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license
Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV
78
In the Sun by Charles-Edouard de Beaumont
Charles-Edouard de Beaumont, In the Sun, 1875. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, open access. The bar shows each color's measured share of the canvas.

The 6 colors in this painting

Measured from the image and ordered by how much of the canvas they cover. LRV is how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white.

Soft Green
#6B6D50 · 46% · LRV 15
Shadow Green
#4B4D3F · 24.4% · LRV 7
Warm Yellow
#AD9A73 · 17% · LRV 33
Pale Yellow
#FFE1A8 · 9.3% · LRV 78
Light Green
#9BB289 · 2.9% · LRV 41
Warm Red
#A16D56 · 0.4% · LRV 19

Where each color lives in the painting

Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.

In the Sun reduced to its palette colors
The same scene in 6 flat colors.
Detail of the painting where Soft Green is strongest
Soft Green
Detail of the painting where Shadow Green is strongest
Shadow Green
Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest
Warm Yellow
Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest
Pale Yellow
Detail of the painting where Light Green is strongest
Light Green
Detail of the painting where Warm Red is strongest
Warm Red

Closest paint colors

The nearest color from each brand. “Near-identical” and “Very close” are hard to tell apart on a wall; with “Similar”, compare a sample with the painting. Brands with nothing close are left out.

Painting color Closest paints LRV Use it for
Soft Green
#6B6D50
  • Valspar 6001-4C Tarragon Very close
  • Behr 730D-6 Coconut Husk Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Very close
15 One bold piece
Shadow Green
#4B4D3F
  • Behr N360-7 Potting Soil Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 7749 Laurel Woods Very close
  • Valspar 6011-5 Aged Pine Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 93 Studio Green Similar
7 Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow
#AD9A73
  • Behr QE-36 Golden Sage Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6137 Burlap Close
  • Valspar 6008-4B Caraway Shield Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar
33 Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Yellow
#FFE1A8
  • Valspar 2008-2B Spun Honey Near-identical
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 9016 La Luna Amarilla Very close
  • Behr M290-3 Corn Stalk Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close
78 Main walls
Light Green
#9BB289
  • Behr 400F-5 Promenade Near-identical
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6437 Haven Very close
  • Valspar 6001-6A Gloaming Green Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 81 Breakfast Room Green Close
41 Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Red
#A16D56
  • Valspar 2006-5A Woodland Near-identical
  • Behr MQ1-28 Orange Flambe Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 7705 Wheat Penny Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar
19 One small textile

Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.

How pale yellow looks in your light

The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.

North-facing room#DCCCAC

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#FFE2AD

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2B27D

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

Try the palette in a room

Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.

Walls
Bed, sofa, island
Bold piece

Wood takes a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Warm Red in every combination.

Mood board

Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.

Pale Yellow
Light Green
Soft Green
Linen
Oiled oak
Lime plaster
Aged brass
Palette card for In the Sun

Save this palette

A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.

Save to Pinterest Download card

Guides that use colors from this painting

More palettes like this

FAQ

What colors are in In the Sun?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Green (#6B6D50, 46% of the canvas), Shadow Green (#4B4D3F, 24.4% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#AD9A73, 17% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFE1A8, 9.3% of the canvas), Light Green (#9BB289, 2.9% of the canvas), Warm Red (#A16D56, 0.4% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 78% of the light that hits it (LRV 78), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain (CC0). Palette, posterized image, details and room views generated by Light & Pigment from that image. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.