17th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

Lute Player Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Valentin de Boulogne's Lute Player, ca. 1625–26. It is mostly black with a warm cream, a soft tan and dark browns, and it suits a dramatic dining room or study.

Quick answer

Paint the walls cream #FFF7D2, use tan #D2AA87 for main pieces, brown #4B2C1B for wood, #71504D for textiles and #3F281B for accents.

Artist: Valentin de Boulogne
Date: ca. 1625–26
Movement: 17th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 92

Lute Player by Valentin de Boulogne — Valentin de Boulogne, *Lute Player*, ca. 1625–26. 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.

Near Black

#151513 · 75.4% · LRV 1

Dark Cocoa

#3F281B · 10.3% · LRV 3

Dusty Mauve Brown

#71504D · 4.8% · LRV 10

Warm Tan

#D2AA87 · 4.4% · LRV 44

Deep Walnut

#4B2C1B · 3.9% · LRV 3

Bright Cream

#FFF7D2 · 1.2% · LRV 92

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.

Lute Player reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Dark Cocoa is strongest — Dark Cocoa

Detail of the painting where Dusty Mauve Brown is strongest — Dusty Mauve Brown

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

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

Detail of the painting where Bright Cream is strongest — Bright 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
Near Black `#151513`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 770F-7 Beluga Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Cocoa `#3F281B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Close Behr S-G-760 Chocolate Coco Similar	3	One bold piece
Dusty Mauve Brown `#71504D`	Valspar 1006-7A Brown Plum Very close Behr HDC-CL-12 Terrace Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6026 River Rouge Close Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	10	One small textile
Warm Tan `#D2AA87`	Valspar 2007-8A Cosy Chair Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6115 Totally Tan Very close Behr PPU3-11 Autumn Air Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar	44	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Walnut `#4B2C1B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Close Behr 770B-7 Chocolate Sparkle Similar	3	Wood and frames
Bright Cream `#FFF7D2`	Behr 350A-2 Vanilla Milkshake Near-identical Valspar 3006-2C Summer Smile Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6700 Daybreak Close Farrow & Ball No. 2012 House White Close	92	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 bright 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#DCDAC7

In north light the cream #FFF7D2 at LRV 92 stays bright and warm, which helps the dark pieces look intentional.

South-facing room#FFF3CE

In strong south light the cream is very bright, almost white, so the tan and mauve brown keep the room warm.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2BF96

Under warm evening bulbs the cream turns buttery, and the dark browns blend into soft shadow.

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 Deep Walnut and the rug border takes Dusty Mauve Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Bright Cream

Warm Tan

Dark Cocoa

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

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 Combination for a Room Burgundy

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Man Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1693

The Abduction of the Sabine Women Nicolas Poussin, probably 1633–34

Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun Nicolas Poussin, 1658

FAQ

Can I paint all the walls black?

The black #151513 has an LRV of 1 and takes up 75 percent of the painting. It works best on one wall or a ceiling in a room with good lamps.

What is the best wall color here?

The cream #FFF7D2 at LRV 92 is the lightest color and the one that brightens the room.

What accent suits this palette?

The dusty mauve brown #71504D adds a softer note than the darker browns.

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.