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

Cow in a Barn Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is a set of warm browns, tan, and cream, with one near-black for the deepest shadows. It suits rooms where you want grounded warmth rather than cool, bright color.

Quick answer

Use the pale apricot cream (#F1CFA2) on the walls and the honey tan (#CCA176) on a large piece like a sofa or rug. Bring in the deep brown (#73513A) through wood, the russet (#9A7454) as an accent, and the dark chestnut (#4C3C2D) in textiles, with the near-black (#201C19) for small touches only.

Artist: Camille Corot
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 66

Cow in a Barn by Camille Corot — Camille Corot, *Cow in a Barn*. 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 charcoal black

#201C19 · 24.4% · LRV 1

Burnt umber brown

#73513A · 19.8% · LRV 10

Warm russet clay

#9A7454 · 19.1% · LRV 20

Dark chestnut brown

#4C3C2D · 13% · LRV 5

Pale apricot cream

#F1CFA2 · 12.8% · LRV 66

Soft honey tan

#CCA176 · 10.8% · LRV 40

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.

Cow in a Barn reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft charcoal black is strongest — Soft charcoal black

Detail of the painting where Burnt umber brown is strongest — Burnt umber brown

Detail of the painting where Warm russet clay is strongest — Warm russet clay

Detail of the painting where Dark chestnut brown is strongest — Dark chestnut brown

Detail of the painting where Pale apricot cream is strongest — Pale apricot cream

Detail of the painting where Soft honey tan is strongest — Soft honey 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
Soft charcoal black `#201C19`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Burnt umber brown `#73513A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Very close Behr BXC-65 Outback Brown Very close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Warm russet clay `#9A7454`	Behr PPU4-02 Coco Rum Very close Valspar 3002-7A Chestnut Beach Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6095 Toasty Very close	20	One bold piece
Dark chestnut brown `#4C3C2D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Very close Behr 760B-7 Revival Mahogany Close Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	5	One small textile
Pale apricot cream `#F1CFA2`	Sherwin-Williams SW 67 Belvedere Cream Near-identical Valspar 3002-6B Amber Waves Near-identical Behr HDC-CT-01 Amber Moon Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	66	Main walls
Soft honey tan `#CCA176`	Behr PPU4-16 Kenya Near-identical Valspar 3004-7C Buckskin Pony Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9024 Vintage Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	40	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 apricot 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#D3C0A7

In north light the cream wall (LRV 66) stays light but looks cooler and a little flatter. The warm yellow undertone will read more muted, so pair it with warmer wood tones to keep the room inviting.

South-facing room#F4D4A8

Strong south light makes the cream wall look brighter and the apricot undertone more noticeable. Use the honey tan and deeper browns to balance the glare and keep the room from feeling washed out.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CAA87A

Under warm evening bulbs the cream wall takes on a golden glow and the browns look richer. This is a good palette for dining areas and living rooms used mostly at night.

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 Burnt umber brown and the rug border takes Dark chestnut brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale apricot cream

Soft honey tan

Warm russet clay

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

Peach Color for Bedroom: Orange Shades and Pairings from Paintings Orange · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Madame Thadée Natanson (Misia Godebska, 1872–1950) at the Theater Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1895

On the Road Jules Dupré, 1856

Monsieur Tortoni baron François Pascal Simon Gérard, c. 1820

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest color?

The near-black (#201C19, LRV 1) reads very dark and absorbs most light. Use it on one feature wall, a door, or a few accessories rather than a full room.

Which color should I use for the main wall?

The pale apricot cream (#F1CFA2, LRV 66) is the lightest shade and reads as a wall color. It keeps the room bright while the browns add depth in furniture and trim.

Will this palette work in a small room?

Yes, if the walls stay light. Keep the cream on the walls and use the darker browns in smaller pieces, so the room does not feel closed in.

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.