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

Guillaume Budé (1467–1540) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Guillaume Budé (1467–1540) by Jean Clouet, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Warm Umber for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Soft Blue to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Green works best in a single textile.

Artist: Jean Clouet
Date: ca. 1536
Movement: 16th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Guillaume Budé (1467–1540) by Jean Clouet — Jean Clouet, *Guillaume Budé (1467–1540)*, ca. 1536. 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.

Soft Black

#252325 · 50.5% · LRV 2

Soft Blue

#35748E · 33.9% · LRV 15

Pale Yellow

#FEDDB9 · 6% · LRV 76

Warm Umber

#9F7D5F · 4.8% · LRV 23

Deep Green

#646C43 · 3% · LRV 14

Deep Umber

#996E40 · 1.7% · LRV 18

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.

Guillaume Budé (1467–1540) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Blue is strongest — Soft Blue

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Umber is strongest — Warm Umber

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Umber is strongest — Deep Umber

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
Soft Black `#252325`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Blue `#35748E`	Behr 550F-6 Regatta Bay Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7610 Turkish Tile Very close Valspar 5010-10 Photogenic Close Farrow & Ball No. 288 Vardo Similar	15	One bold piece
Pale Yellow `#FEDDB9`	Valspar 2007-4B Champagne Orange Near-identical Behr 310C-2 Orange Glow Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6652 Flan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Similar	76	Main walls
Warm Umber `#9F7D5F`	Behr MQ2-11 Outdoor Land Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2823 Rookwood Clay Very close Valspar 3003-7B Leather Satchel Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	23	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Green `#646C43`	Behr MQ6-62 Coconut Grove Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6433 Inverness Close Valspar 6010-5 Dark Meadow Close	14	One small textile
Deep Umber `#996E40`	Behr PPU6-01 Curry Powder Very close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9106 El Caramelo Very close	18	Wood and frames

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 yellow 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#DBC9B6

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#FEDFBA

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2B087

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 Deep Umber and the rug border takes Deep Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Warm Umber

Soft Blue

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Guillaume Budé (1467–1540)

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

Red House Color Schemes for Exterior Paint House exterior · Red

More palettes like this

The Grand Canal, Venice, Looking South toward the Rialto Bridge Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), 1730s

Study of Water and Plants Thomas Fearnley, 1837

Young Girl in a Pink-and-Black Hat Auguste Renoir, ca. 1891

FAQ

What colors are in Guillaume Budé (1467–1540)?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#252325, 50.5% of the canvas), Soft Blue (#35748E, 33.9% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FEDDB9, 6% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#9F7D5F, 4.8% of the canvas), Deep Green (#646C43, 3% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#996E40, 1.7% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 76% of the light that hits it (LRV 76), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.