16th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Portrait of a Venetian Senator Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Catena's Portrait of a Venetian Senator, an oil on canvas painted around 1525 and held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It suits rooms that want warmth, depth and a little drama, such as a dining room, study or library.

Quick answer

Use #BAAEA2 as the main wall color. Add #713232 as an accent on a single wall, door or built-in, and use #963E3B in textiles like cushions, rugs or curtains. Keep #FFD9AD for a lighter wall or ceiling, and #252020 for small details like frames or hardware.

Artist: Catena (Vincenzo di Biagio)
Date: ca. 1525
Movement: 16th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 74

Portrait of a Venetian Senator by Catena (Vincenzo di Biagio) — Catena (Vincenzo di Biagio), *Portrait of a Venetian Senator*, ca. 1525. 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.

Warm Greige Stone

#BAAEA2 · 40.1% · LRV 43

Near-Black Charcoal

#252020 · 23% · LRV 2

Dark Oxblood Red

#713232 · 22% · LRV 6

Deep Brick Red

#963E3B · 8.5% · LRV 10

Pale Linen Beige

#DFD0C1 · 3.6% · LRV 65

Soft Apricot Cream

#FFD9AD · 2.8% · LRV 74

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.

Portrait of a Venetian Senator reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Warm Greige Stone is strongest — Warm Greige Stone

Detail of the painting where Near-Black Charcoal is strongest — Near-Black Charcoal

Detail of the painting where Dark Oxblood Red is strongest — Dark Oxblood Red

Detail of the painting where Deep Brick Red is strongest — Deep Brick Red

Detail of the painting where Pale Linen Beige is strongest — Pale Linen Beige

Detail of the painting where Soft Apricot Cream is strongest — Soft Apricot Cream

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
Warm Greige Stone `#BAAEA2`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6073 Perfect Greige Near-identical Valspar 6006-1C Ivory Brown Very close Behr PPU18-13 Perfect Taupe Very close Farrow & Ball No. 267 Dove Tale Close	43	Bed, sofa, curtains
Near-Black Charcoal `#252020`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6990 Caviar Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Oxblood Red `#713232`	Behr S160-7 Red Chipotle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7584 Red Theatre Very close Valspar 1011-4 Posh Red Very close Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	6	One bold piece
Deep Brick Red `#963E3B`	Behr 210D-7 Firebrick Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7600 Bolero Very close Valspar 1011-2 Fabulous Red Very close Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Close	10	One small textile
Pale Linen Beige `#DFD0C1`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7596 Only Natural Near-identical Behr 250E-2 Pebbled Courtyard Near-identical Valspar 3001-10C Tagsale Linen Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 241 Skimming Stone Close	65	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Apricot Cream `#FFD9AD`	Valspar 2005-2B Sand Swept Very close Behr 290B-4 Feather Plume Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6652 Flan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Similar	74	Main walls

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 soft apricot cream 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#DCC7AF

In north light, #BAAEA2 looks cooler and grayer, so the warm yellow undertone fades. Pair it with warmer bulbs or wood furniture to keep the room from feeling flat.

South-facing room#FFDCB1

Strong south light brings out the warm yellow in #BAAEA2 and makes it look soft and golden. The wall may feel brighter than expected, so check a large sample at midday.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2AD81

Under warm evening bulbs, #BAAEA2 deepens and the red and orange tones in the accent and textile colors come forward. This is when the room feels most like the painting.

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 Deep Brick Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Apricot Cream

Warm Greige Stone

Dark Oxblood Red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Portrait of a Venetian Senator

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

Maroon Color Bedroom: Burgundy Shades and What to Pair Them With Burgundy · Bedroom

Maroon Color Paint: Burgundy Shades for Interior Walls Burgundy

Greige Color Palette and the Colors That Go With It Greige

Beige Complementary Colors: Shades and Partners From Paintings Beige

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Man in Armor with Two Pages Paris Bordon

Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Prison Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari), ca. 1585

The Coronation of the Virgin Annibale Carracci, after 1595

FAQ

Which color should cover the most wall space?

Use #BAAEA2 on most of the walls. It makes up about 40 percent of the painting, so it works as the base for the rest of the scheme.

Can I use the dark colors in a small room?

Use them in small amounts. #252020 and #713232 have very low light reflectance, so a full dark wall can make a small room feel closed in. Try one accent wall, a door or a few textiles instead.

What is the easiest way to add these colors without repainting?

Start with textiles. Cushions, a throw or a rug in #963E3B or #713232 add the palette's depth and warmth without touching the walls.

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.