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

Interrupted Reading Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from the earthy browns of Corot's "Interrupted Reading" at The Art Institute of Chicago, with a pale cream, a soft taupe and two very dark reds for depth. It suits a quiet, warm room such as a study, a bedroom or a reading corner.

Quick answer

Put the light cream #E3CAAE on the walls and the soft taupe #BCAE9E on larger secondary surfaces. Use the deep brown #6F5D49 for wood, the mid-tone #A58D73 for accents, and the dark reds #613B32 and #43332B for textiles and small touches.

Artist: Jean Baptiste Camille Corot
Date: c. 1870
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

Interrupted Reading by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot — Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, *Interrupted Reading*, c. 1870. 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.

Deep Walnut Brown

#6F5D49 · 34.6% · LRV 12

Warm Clay Tan

#A58D73 · 28.5% · LRV 28

Dark Umber Shadow

#43332B · 10.7% · LRV 4

Dark Wine Brown

#613B32 · 10.2% · LRV 6

Soft Parchment Cream

#E3CAAE · 10.2% · LRV 62

Pale Stone Taupe

#BCAE9E · 5.9% · LRV 43

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Walnut Brown is strongest — Deep Walnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Warm Clay Tan is strongest — Warm Clay Tan

Detail of the painting where Dark Umber Shadow is strongest — Dark Umber Shadow

Detail of the painting where Dark Wine Brown is strongest — Dark Wine Brown

Detail of the painting where Soft Parchment Cream is strongest — Soft Parchment Cream

Detail of the painting where Pale Stone Taupe is strongest — Pale Stone Taupe

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 Walnut Brown `#6F5D49`	Behr N240-7 Joshua Tree Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7040 Smokehouse Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close Valspar 2007-9A Shutter Brown Close	12	Wood and frames
Warm Clay Tan `#A58D73`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9108 Double Latte Very close Behr N240-5 Rodeo Tan Very close Valspar 3004-9C River Oak Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	28	One bold piece
Dark Umber Shadow `#43332B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6076 Turkish Coffee Close Behr N170-7 Baronial Brown Close Valspar 1011-8 Antique Burgundy Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Wine Brown `#613B32`	Behr N160-7 Brown Velvet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6055 Fiery Brown Very close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	6	One small textile
Soft Parchment Cream `#E3CAAE`	Behr S260-2 Pumpkin Seed Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6113 Interactive Cream Near-identical Valspar 3002-8B Bread Basket Very close Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground Close	62	Main walls
Pale Stone Taupe `#BCAE9E`	Valspar 6006-1C Ivory Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7037 Balanced Beige Very close Behr MQ2-51 Pasha Brown Very close Farrow & Ball No. 293 Jitney Very close	43	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 soft parchment 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#C9BEB0

The cream wall color #E3CAAE has an LRV of 62, so it holds up well in cool north light. Expect it to look a little quieter and less yellow than in warmer rooms, while still reading light.

South-facing room#E9D0B2

In strong south light, the cream wall color will look brighter and show more of its warm yellow undertone. At LRV 62 it bounces plenty of light, so it should feel glowing rather than heavy.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C2A581

Warm evening bulbs will push the cream toward a deeper golden tone and make the room feel snug. If you want to keep it from turning too yellow, choose bulbs that are warm but not very amber.

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 Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Dark Wine Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Parchment Cream

Pale Stone Taupe

Warm Clay Tan

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

North Facing Bedroom Paint Color: Warm Shades That Work North-facing · Bedroom

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

More palettes like this

Fruits of the Midi Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881

Dancers in the Rehearsal Room with a Double Bass Edgar Degas, ca. 1882–85

The Flood Gate Emile van Marcke

FAQ

Can I use all six colors in one room?

Yes, if you give them clear jobs. Use the cream on walls, the taupe and tan in supporting roles, and keep the darkest browns and reds to wood, textiles and small accents.

Are the dark reds too heavy for a small room?

At LRV 4 and 6, they absorb a lot of light, so use them sparingly. A rug, a cushion or a throw gives you the depth without closing in the space.

What should I use on the wood and trim?

The deep brown #6F5D49 is the wood tone in this palette, with an LRV of 12. It works for furniture, shelves or a floor, and it contrasts clearly with the light cream walls.

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.