18th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun's portrait of Madame Grand is mostly black, with warm gold, brown and a deep green. This palette suits a formal room such as a dining room or a bedroom with a dramatic, candlelit feel.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #F8DEAF on the walls and #EEB36F or #BA8A55 for upholstery. Keep #775C3C for wood and #2D452D for a deep green textile.

Artist: Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Date: 1783
Movement: 18th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 75

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835) by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun — Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, *Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835)*, 1783. 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.

True Black

#0E0D0B · 68.6% · LRV 0

Walnut Brown

#775C3C · 10.9% · LRV 12

Forest Green

#2D452D · 7.8% · LRV 5

Pale Cream

#F8DEAF · 6.7% · LRV 75

Antique Gold

#BA8A55 · 5.1% · LRV 29

Warm Honey

#EEB36F · 0.9% · LRV 52

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.

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Forest Green is strongest — Forest Green

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

Detail of the painting where Antique Gold is strongest — Antique Gold

Detail of the painting where Warm Honey is strongest — Warm 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
True Black `#0E0D0B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Nearest available	0	Small accents, art, accessories
Walnut Brown `#775C3C`	Behr MQ2-9 Clockworks Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	12	Wood and frames
Forest Green `#2D452D`	Behr BXC-12 Deep Forest Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6461 Isle of Pines Similar Valspar 5010-5 Ivy League Similar	5	One small textile
Pale Cream `#F8DEAF`	Valspar 3006-6B Shoreline Near-identical Behr 330C-3 Clam Chowder Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6673 Banana Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close	75	Main walls
Antique Gold `#BA8A55`	Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6390 Bosc Pear Very close Behr S260-5 Almond Roca Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	29	One bold piece
Warm Honey `#EEB36F`	Behr PPU6-03 Sunburst Near-identical Valspar 3001-3C Buttered Hazelnut Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6374 Torchlight Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	52	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 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#D7CAB1

In north light, #F8DEAF stays warm and bright thanks to an LRV of 75. It keeps a cooler room from feeling flat.

South-facing room#FAE0B3

In strong sun the cream may look very pale and yellow. If you want more depth, try #EEB36F, which has an LRV of 52.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CEB081

Evening bulbs make the golds glow and the black almost disappear. This palette is at its best after dark.

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 Brown and the rug border takes Forest Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Cream

Warm Honey

Antique Gold

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835)

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

The Stolen Kiss Jean Honoré Fragonard, ca. 1760

The Two Sisters Jean Honoré Fragonard, ca. 1769–70

The Interrupted Sleep François Boucher, 1750

FAQ

Can I use black on the walls?

#0E0D0B has an LRV of 0, so it takes all the light in a room. It is better on doors, a fireplace surround or built-in shelving.

Which color goes with the green?

#2D452D pairs well with the gold and cream here. Use it in curtains or a chair, where its LRV of 5 gives a rich contrast.

What is a good ceiling color?

A ceiling in or near #F8DEAF keeps the space bright. Pure white may look stark next to the warm gold.

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.