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

Two Children Teasing a Cat Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from Annibale Carracci's "Two Children Teasing a Cat," an oil on canvas at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from deep smoky browns to a pale honey cream, with warm peach and clay tones in between. It suits rooms that feel warm, earthy and settled.

Quick answer

Use the honey cream #E9C59C on the walls, with the apricot peach #D49381 as the main color on larger surfaces or cabinetry. Put the walnut wood tone on furniture and floors, and bring in the terracotta clay and cocoa browns through textiles and one accent wall or door.

Artist: Annibale Carracci
Movement: 16th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 60

Two Children Teasing a Cat by Annibale Carracci — Annibale Carracci, *Two Children Teasing a Cat*. 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.

Smoky warm charcoal

#403C36 · 44.7% · LRV 5

Muted cocoa brown

#6E5A4B · 24.1% · LRV 11

Walnut russet brown

#715442 · 14.7% · LRV 10

Dusty apricot peach

#D49381 · 5.9% · LRV 37

Soft honey cream

#E9C59C · 5.4% · LRV 60

Terracotta clay rose

#A7695B · 5.3% · LRV 19

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.

Two Children Teasing a Cat reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Smoky warm charcoal is strongest — Smoky warm charcoal

Detail of the painting where Muted cocoa brown is strongest — Muted cocoa brown

Detail of the painting where Walnut russet brown is strongest — Walnut russet brown

Detail of the painting where Dusty apricot peach is strongest — Dusty apricot peach

Detail of the painting where Soft honey cream is strongest — Soft honey cream

Detail of the painting where Terracotta clay rose is strongest — Terracotta clay rose

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
Smoky warm charcoal `#403C36`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7675 Sealskin Very close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Close	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted cocoa brown `#6E5A4B`	Behr UL160-22 Cacao Very close Valspar 2004-9A Deep Walnut Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7515 Homestead Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	11	One bold piece
Walnut russet brown `#715442`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2807 Rookwood Medium Brown Near-identical Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Very close Behr PPU4-20 Ancient Root Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Dusty apricot peach `#D49381`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6332 Coral Island Very close Valspar 2003-5C Terra Earth Very close Behr 230D-4 Pecos Spice Close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Similar	37	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft honey cream `#E9C59C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7687 August Moon Very close Behr PPU4-15 Jasper Cane Very close Valspar 3002-6B Amber Waves Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Similar	60	Main walls
Terracotta clay rose `#A7695B`	Behr HDC-CL-08 Sun Baked Earth Very close Valspar 2003-7B Deep Clay Red Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 40 Roycroft Adobe Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	19	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 soft honey 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#CDBAA4

In north light the honey cream wall will look cooler and a little grayer than it does in the painting. Its light reflectance value of 60 still bounces light well, so it keeps the room from feeling dim.

South-facing room#EECCA4

In strong south light the honey cream wall reads warm and bright, and the peach tones glow. Check the wall in the afternoon, since the color can look more saturated than you expect.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5A276

Under warm evening bulbs the honey cream leans further toward gold, and the peach and clay tones deepen. The brown and charcoal shades will look richer and more enveloping 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 russet brown and the rug border takes Terracotta clay rose in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft honey cream

Dusty apricot peach

Muted cocoa brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Two Children Teasing a Cat

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

Blush Pink Bedroom Paint: Three Dusty Rose Shades to Compare Blush pink · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo), ca. 1530

Portrait of a Woman Francesco Montemezzano

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

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Soft honey cream #E9C59C is the lightest tone in the palette, with a light reflectance value of 60. It is the safest choice for the largest wall areas, especially in rooms with less natural light.

Can I use the darkest color in a small room?

Smoky warm charcoal #403C36 has a light reflectance value of 5, so it will absorb a lot of light. In a small room, keep it to a single accent such as a door, a trim detail or a piece of furniture, and balance it with the cream wall.

What should I pair with the terracotta and cocoa tones?

Muted cocoa brown #6E5A4B and terracotta clay rose #A7695B work well in textiles such as cushions, rugs and curtains. Pair them with the walnut wood tone and the honey cream walls to keep the room warm and consistent.

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.