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

An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Léon Bonnat's oil painting of an Egyptian peasant woman and her child. It is a warm, sandy scheme built on a very dark green base, and it suits a living room or study that gets plenty of daylight.

Quick answer

Put the very light cream #EFDBB9 on the walls and the sandy #AFA284 on the sofa or curtains. Use #977D59 for wood and #293128 for one accent piece.

Artist: Léon Bonnat
Date: 1869–70
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child by Léon Bonnat — Léon Bonnat, *An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child*, 1869–70. 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.

Deep Moss Black

#293128 · 37.3% · LRV 3

Dry Sand

#AFA284 · 35.3% · LRV 37

Walnut Tan

#977D59 · 13.6% · LRV 22

Soft Cream

#EFDBB9 · 7.8% · LRV 73

Warm Apricot

#D9A56D · 3% · LRV 43

Pale Honey

#FDD69B · 2.9% · LRV 71

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.

An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep Moss Black is strongest — Deep Moss Black

Detail of the painting where Dry Sand is strongest — Dry Sand

Detail of the painting where Walnut Tan is strongest — Walnut Tan

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Apricot is strongest — Warm Apricot

Detail of the painting where Pale Honey is strongest — Pale Honey

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
Deep Moss Black `#293128`	Behr S-H-780 Thorny Branch Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6216 Jasper Close Valspar 6011-5 Aged Pine Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	3	One bold piece
Dry Sand `#AFA284`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7736 Garden Sage Very close Behr HDC-NT-12 Curly Willow Very close Valspar 3007-9C Wild Mushroom Close Farrow & Ball No. 17 Light Gray Close	37	Bed, sofa, curtains
Walnut Tan `#977D59`	Behr 280F-5 New Chestnut Very close Valspar 3006-7A Olive Branch Gold Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6138 Artifact Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	22	Wood and frames
Soft Cream `#EFDBB9`	Valspar 3004-8B Hazy Yellow Near-identical Behr S300-2 Powdered Gold Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7678 Cottage Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close	73	Main walls
Warm Apricot `#D9A56D`	Behr HDC-FL13-2 Corn Maze Very close Valspar 3002-5C Frankincense Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2858 Harvest Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close	43	One small textile
Pale Honey `#FDD69B`	Valspar 2007-2B Whipped Apricot Near-identical Behr 320C-3 Honey Butter Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2865 Classical Yellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	71	Small accents, art, accessories

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 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#D2C9B6

In cool north light, #EFDBB9 stays gentle and keeps the room from feeling gray. Its LRV of 73 helps a dim wall look bright.

South-facing room#F3DDBA

Strong south light makes #EFDBB9 read paler and creamier. If glare bothers you, move one step toward #AFA284, which has an LRV of 37.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C9AF87

Under warm evening bulbs the yellow undertone in this palette deepens into a golden glow. The dark #293128 recedes and the room feels enclosed and calm.

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 Walnut Tan and the rug border takes Warm Apricot in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Cream

Dry Sand

Deep Moss Black

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child

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

More palettes like this

Madame Léon Clapisson Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1883

The Place du Havre, Paris Camille Pissarro, 1893

The Millinery Shop Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas, 1879-86

FAQ

Which color from this palette works best on walls?

The very light #EFDBB9 is the wall color, with an LRV of 73. The sandy #AFA284 can work on a feature wall if the room has good light.

How do I use the very dark green in a small room?

Keep #293128 to small areas such as a bookcase, a door or a side table. At an LRV of 3 it absorbs light, so a whole wall can make a small room feel tight.

What wood tones go with these colors?

Mid-tone wood close to #977D59 fits naturally, since it comes from the same painting. Honey or walnut finishes blend in better than very pale or very red woods.

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.