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

Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature) Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Pierre Puvis de Chavannes's oil painting Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature), ca. 1890–95, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is mostly greens and grays, with one warm oat tone and a small camel accent, so it suits rooms that want a quiet, earthy calm.

Quick answer

Use warm oat (#D9D1BD) on the walls, since it is the only light tone here and keeps the room bright. Use soft sage gray for larger furniture or built-ins, muted moss for one accent wall or a door, and camel tan in pillows, rugs, or lampshades.

Artist: Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
Date: ca. 1890–95
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 64

Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature) by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes — Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, *Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature)*, ca. 1890–95. 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 stone

#757569 · 44.5% · LRV 18

soft sage gray

#A1A399 · 19.1% · LRV 36

muted moss green

#8F9C7E · 18.7% · LRV 31

warm oat white

#D9D1BD · 10.3% · LRV 64

pale sage green

#9BA985 · 5.3% · LRV 37

camel tan

#B89C7C · 2% · LRV 35

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.

Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where soft sage gray is strongest — soft sage gray

Detail of the painting where muted moss green is strongest — muted moss green

Detail of the painting where warm oat white is strongest — warm oat white

Detail of the painting where pale sage green is strongest — pale sage green

Detail of the painting where camel tan is strongest — camel tan

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 stone `#757569`	Behr HDC-AC-20 Halls Of Ivy Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2851 Sage Green Light Close Valspar 5008-2C Cosmopolitan Olive Close Farrow & Ball No. 47 Green Smoke Close	18	Small accents, art, accessories
soft sage gray `#A1A399`	Behr N200-4 Rustic Taupe Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6199 Rare Gray Very close Valspar 5007-2A Gray Exposé Very close Farrow & Ball No. 25 Pigeon Very close	36	Bed, sofa, curtains
muted moss green `#8F9C7E`	Valspar 5007-4A Leafy Rise Very close Behr N350-5 Muted Sage Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2812 Rookwood Jade Very close Farrow & Ball No. 81 Breakfast Room Green Close	31	One bold piece
warm oat white `#D9D1BD`	Valspar 6007-1B Milestone Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6148 Wool Skein Very close Farrow & Ball No. 201 Shaded White Very close Behr HDC-NT-15 Rococo Beige Very close	64	Main walls
pale sage green `#9BA985`	Behr N340-4 Tent Green Very close Valspar 5008-4A Jungle Chameleon Very close Farrow & Ball No. 81 Breakfast Room Green Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6437 Haven Close	37	Small accents, art, accessories
camel tan `#B89C7C`	Valspar 3002-9C Doe Eyes Very close Behr MQ2-28 Modern History Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9097 Soft Fawn Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Close	35	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 warm oat white 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#C3C1B9

In north light, the warm oat wall will look cooler and a little grayer than the swatch. Its LRV of 64 still keeps the room light and reflective.

South-facing room#E1D6BD

In strong south light, the yellow undertone in the warm oat shows more and the wall reads warmer and brighter. The greens will look more open and lively.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BCA98A

Under warm evening bulbs, the oat wall glows softly and the greens look deeper and cozier. Test the sage and moss shades under your own lamps before committing.

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 camel tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

warm oat white

soft sage gray

muted moss green

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Inter artes et naturam (Between Art and Nature)

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

Coastal Bedroom Paint Colors Coastal style

Victorian Exterior Paint Schemes House exterior · Victorian

Green Paint Colors for Living Room Walls, Furniture and Textiles Green · Living room

More palettes like this

Landscape Jean Charles Cazin, c. 1895

Arlésiennes (Mistral) Paul Gauguin, 1888

Café Singer Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas, 1879

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in deep olive stone?

Deep olive stone has an LRV of 18, which reads very dark. In a small or dim room, a full wall can feel heavy. Try it on a single cabinet, a front door, or an alcove, and keep warm oat on the other walls.

How should I test these colors before buying paint?

Paint large sample patches on the wall you plan to color, not on white paper. Check them in morning, afternoon, and evening light. Compare them next to your floor, furniture, and textiles.

Where does camel tan work best?

Camel tan is a small share of this palette, so it works best in textiles. Use it in pillows, throws, rugs, or lampshades to add warmth against the greens and oat walls.

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.