North-facing room
#DCCCADNorth light is cooler and dimmer, so the pale butter cream wall will look softer and a little deeper than its measured value. It still reads light enough to keep a small room from feeling closed in.
19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette
Young Mother Gazing at Her Child Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette comes from William Bouguereau's 1871 oil painting Young Mother Gazing at Her Child, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from near-black browns to warm ochres and one pale butter cream, so it suits rooms that want warmth, depth and a settled, old-world feel.
Quick answer
Use the pale cream #FFE1AA on the walls so the room keeps its light. Put the golden ochre #CDA477 on a larger piece such as a sofa or rug, and use the darker browns for wood, accents and textiles.
- Artist
- William Bouguereau
- Date
- 1871
- Movement
- 19th-century French painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 78
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 espresso brown
Dark umber brown
Warm walnut brown
Golden ochre tan
Pale butter cream
Rusty brick red
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.
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 espresso brown#2F261C |
|
2 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Dark umber brown#5B412D |
|
6 | One bold piece |
Warm walnut brown#8B6544 |
|
15 | Wood and frames |
Golden ochre tan#CDA477 |
|
41 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Pale butter cream#FFE1AA |
|
78 | Main walls |
Rusty brick red#894131 |
|
9 | 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 butter 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.
South-facing room
#FFE2AFStrong south light brings out the yellow in the cream wall and can make it look bright. Test a sample on the wall first, since the sun can push the warm tones toward gold through the day.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2B27FWarm evening bulbs make the cream wall look richer and more golden, and they deepen the browns. Keep the darkest shades for furniture and trim, where they will look intentional rather than heavy.
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.
Wood takes Warm walnut brown and the rug border takes Rusty brick red in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale butter cream
Golden ochre tan
Dark umber brown
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
Which color should I paint the walls?
Use the pale butter cream #FFE1AA, which has a measured LRV of 78. It is the lightest tone in the palette, so it bounces the most light and keeps the darker browns from closing in on the room.
Can I use the very dark brown on a whole room?
The deepest brown, #2F261C, has an LRV of 2, so it absorbs nearly all the light that reaches it. Use it in small doses, such as a door, a built-in or a narrow accent wall, rather than across every surface.
How do I balance the darker shades in a room?
Keep the cream on most walls and bring in the golden ochre #CDA477 through larger pieces. Add the browns through wood, a dark accent and one rust-red textile so the room feels grounded without becoming dim.
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.