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

The Child's Bath Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from Mary Cassatt's 1893 oil painting The Child's Bath, held at the Art Institute of Chicago. It mixes soft rose and olive with a pale gray and deep plum, so it suits rooms that want warmth without heavy color.

Quick answer

Use the pale gray #DAE0E5 on the walls, the dusty rose #C79E9C as the main color on larger pieces, and the dusky violet #6A647E as an accent on a door, cabinet, or chair. Bring in the terracotta brown #814A42 through textiles and the deep plum brown #5D363C in small doses.

Artist: Mary Cassatt
Date: 1893
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 74

The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt — Mary Cassatt, *The Child's Bath*, 1893. The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.

Muted olive green

#7B7C67 · 27.1% · LRV 20

Dusky violet slate

#6A647E · 22.3% · LRV 14

Dusty rose clay

#C79E9C · 18.2% · LRV 39

Cool pale gray

#DAE0E5 · 16.9% · LRV 74

Deep plum brown

#5D363C · 11.1% · LRV 5

Warm terracotta brown

#814A42 · 4.5% · LRV 10

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.

The Child's Bath reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Muted olive green is strongest — Muted olive green

Detail of the painting where Dusky violet slate is strongest — Dusky violet slate

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

Detail of the painting where Cool pale gray is strongest — Cool pale gray

Detail of the painting where Deep plum brown is strongest — Deep plum brown

Detail of the painting where Warm terracotta brown is strongest — Warm terracotta brown

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
Muted olive green `#7B7C67`	Behr BNC-36 Restful Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6186 Dried Thyme Close Valspar 6004-4C Gaucho Close Farrow & Ball No. 47 Green Smoke Similar	20	Small accents, art, accessories
Dusky violet slate `#6A647E`	Behr PPU16-18 Hyacinth Arbor Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6551 Purple Passage Very close Valspar 4001-6C Metropolis Lilac Close Farrow & Ball No. 220 Pitch Blue Similar	14	One bold piece
Dusty rose clay `#C79E9C`	Behr 220F-4 Sombrero Tan Near-identical Valspar 1006-8A Cameo Pink Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6297 Rose Embroidery Very close Farrow & Ball No. 246 Cinder Rose Close	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Cool pale gray `#DAE0E5`	Behr MQ3-26 Mainsail Near-identical Valspar 4003-5A Sapphire Glow Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6238 Icicle Very close Farrow & Ball No. 235 Borrowed Light Close	74	Main walls
Deep plum brown `#5D363C`	Behr S-G-720 Fireside Very close Farrow & Ball No. 222 Brinjal Very close Valspar 1011-5 Royal Garnet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6300 Burgundy Close	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm terracotta brown `#814A42`	Behr 210F-7 Brown Thrush Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7591 Red Barn Very close Valspar 2003-7A Chocolate Cherry Close Farrow & Ball No. 43 Eating Room Red Close	10	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 cool pale gray 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#C4CBD3

In north light the pale gray wall at LRV 74 reads cool and slightly flat. It still bounces light well, so the room stays bright. The rose and violet will look a little cooler than their swatches.

South-facing room#E2E1DD

Strong south light lifts the pale gray wall and can make it look almost white. The dusty rose will look warmer and more saturated. Check the wall at midday before you commit.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BDB1A0

Under warm evening bulbs the pale gray takes on a soft warm tone. The dusty rose and terracotta deepen and glow. The dusky violet can shift toward gray, so test it under your own lamps.

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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Warm terracotta brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Cool pale gray

Dusty rose clay

Dusky violet slate

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 Paint: Burgundy Shades for Interior Walls Burgundy

Purple Paint Colors for Bedrooms, Measured from Paintings Purple · Bedroom

Modern Kitchen Colors: A Palette Measured from Paintings Modern style

Small Bathroom Paint Colors That Make Walls Recede Small room · Bathroom

Modern Paint Colors for Interior Rooms Modern style

Coastal Paint Colors: A Beach House Color Palette Coastal style

More palettes like this

The Hidden Brook Gustave Courbet, ca. 1873–77

Arab Warrior Horace Vernet, ca. 1817–22

Rue de l'Epicerie, Rouen (Effect of Sunlight) Camille Pissarro, 1898

FAQ

Can I use all six colors in one room?

You can, but keep the pale gray on the walls and let the other colors take smaller roles. Using the darkest shades in small amounts keeps the room balanced.

Will the dark plum work in a small room with little light?

The deep plum brown at LRV 5 absorbs most light, so use it sparingly in a dim room. A pale gray wall at LRV 74 will help the room feel open. Try the plum on one piece of trim or a single accent first.

Which color should I use for ceilings and trim?

The pale gray #DAE0E5 works well on ceilings and trim because it is light and neutral. It keeps the room bright and lets the rose and violet stand out on walls and furniture.

Image: The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.