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

Bathers Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Paul Cézanne's "Bathers" (1874–75), an oil on canvas held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It mixes deep olive and forest greens with a soft slate blue and a pale wheat cream, so it suits rooms that want a calm, earthy scheme.

Quick answer

Use the pale wheat cream #DCCDA5 on the main walls. Place the soft slate blue #84A1B0 on one large piece such as a sofa or cabinet. Bring in the fresh olive green #8FA24C and the soft lime yellow #BAB95C through cushions, a throw, or a small accent.

Artist: Paul Cézanne
Date: 1874–75
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

Bathers by Paul Cézanne — Paul Cézanne, *Bathers*, 1874–75. 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.

deep olive moss

#6A6E53 · 27% · LRV 15

soft slate blue

#84A1B0 · 25.7% · LRV 34

pale wheat cream

#DCCDA5 · 24.6% · LRV 62

deep forest green

#4B7E4C · 12.4% · LRV 17

fresh olive green

#8FA24C · 8.3% · LRV 32

soft lime yellow

#BAB95C · 2% · LRV 46

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.

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

Detail of the painting where deep olive moss is strongest — deep olive moss

Detail of the painting where soft slate blue is strongest — soft slate blue

Detail of the painting where pale wheat cream is strongest — pale wheat cream

Detail of the painting where deep forest green is strongest — deep forest green

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

Detail of the painting where soft lime yellow is strongest — soft lime yellow

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 olive moss `#6A6E53`	Valspar 6001-4C Tarragon Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss Very close Behr MQ6-53 Herb Cornucopia Very close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Close	15	Small accents, art, accessories
soft slate blue `#84A1B0`	Valspar 4007-6A Nostalgia Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9070 Baby Blue Eyes Very close Behr BXC-88 Cool December Very close Farrow & Ball No. 86 Stone Blue Close	34	Bed, sofa, curtains
pale wheat cream `#DCCDA5`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6407 Ancestral Gold Near-identical Valspar 3008-8B Ancient Scroll Very close Behr PPU8-11 Mojito Very close Farrow & Ball No. 8 String Close	62	Main walls
deep forest green `#4B7E4C`	Behr 440F-6 Old Vine Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6740 Kilkenny Close Valspar 6009-7 Vegas Green Similar	17	Small accents, art, accessories
fresh olive green `#8FA24C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6718 Overt Green Very close Valspar 6006-8C Meadow Twilight Very close Behr 390F-6 Tate Olive Close Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Similar	32	One bold piece
soft lime yellow `#BAB95C`	Behr M310-5 Chilled Wine Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet Close Valspar 6007-6A New Avocado Close Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Similar	46	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 wheat 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#C5BFA9

In north light, the pale wheat cream wall looks cooler and a little greyer. Its warm yellow undertone keeps it from going flat. Pair it with warmer wood tones to balance the room.

South-facing room#E4D3AB

In strong south light, the wheat cream wall reads brighter and clearer. Its LRV of 62 bounces a good amount of light around the room. Check the sample at midday, because the yellow undertone may look stronger.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BEA67B

Under warm evening bulbs, the wheat cream wall takes on a creamy glow. The yellow undertone becomes more noticeable. The slate blue will look softer and slightly deeper.

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 soft lime yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

pale wheat cream

soft slate blue

fresh olive green

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

Emerald Green Paint Color for Interior Walls Emerald

Blue Paint Colors for Living Room Walls, Sofas and Textiles Blue · Living room

Mediterranean Color Scheme for Interior Walls, Wood and Textiles Mediterranean style

Blue Exterior House Paint: Colors, Trim and Front Doors House exterior · Blue

More palettes like this

After the Hunt Gustave Courbet, ca. 1859

A Village in a Valley Théodore Rousseau, late 1820s

Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) Claude Monet, 1897

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the deep greens?

The deep olive moss and forest green have LRVs of 15 and 17, so they read very dark. Use them on one wall, a built-in, or a piece of furniture. Test them in the room's actual light before committing to more.

Why is the wall color the pale wheat cream and not the blue?

The wheat cream #DCCDA5 is the lightest color in the palette, with an LRV of 62. That lightness helps it spread light across a room. The slate blue, with an LRV of 34, works better as a deliberate accent.

How do I find paint that matches these colors?

Each color on this page has a closest measured commercial match listed on its own page. Those matches are the nearest the measurements allow, not exact copies. Always test a sample on your own wall and check it in morning, midday, and evening light.

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.