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

The Deer Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from The Deer by Gustave Courbet, 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 Light Green on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Umber to one bold piece. Warm Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Green works best in a single textile.

Artist: Gustave Courbet
Date: ca. 1865
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 63

The Deer by Gustave Courbet — Gustave Courbet, *The Deer*, ca. 1865. 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.

Ink Umber

#372C1F · 44.8% · LRV 3

Deep Umber

#543924 · 23.9% · LRV 5

Warm Umber

#826A4F · 8.9% · LRV 16

Warm Yellow

#ADA381 · 8% · LRV 37

Light Green

#D3D2B0 · 7.4% · LRV 63

Soft Green

#848872 · 7% · LRV 24

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
Ink Umber `#372C1F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber `#543924`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Close Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Similar	5	One bold piece
Warm Umber `#826A4F`	Behr UL180-26 Bazaar Very close Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6145 Thatch Brown Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	16	Wood and frames
Warm Yellow `#ADA381`	Sherwin-Williams SW 42 Ruskin Room Green Near-identical Behr PPU9-22 Cricket Very close Valspar 6007-4A Gold Infusion Close Farrow & Ball No. 19 Lichen Similar	37	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Green `#D3D2B0`	Behr 770C-3 Sand Fossil Near-identical Valspar 6003-3B Martinique Dawn Very close Farrow & Ball No. 206 Green Ground Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6428 Honeydew Close	63	Main walls
Soft Green `#848872`	Behr PPU10-17 Aloe Thorn Very close Valspar 6001-4B Native Henna Very close Farrow & Ball No. 292 Treron Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6179 Artichoke Close	24	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 light green 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#BFC2B1

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

South-facing room#DDD6B3

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)#B9AA82

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 Warm Umber and the rug border takes Soft Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Green

Warm Yellow

Deep Umber

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

Boho Room Paint Colors: A Warm Palette of Gold, Clay and Sand Boho style

Rustic Bedroom Colors Rustic style

More palettes like this

In the Sun Charles-Edouard de Beaumont, 1875

The Court of the Princess Adolphe Monticelli

Bacchante by the Sea Camille Corot, 1865

FAQ

What colors are in The Deer?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Ink Umber (#372C1F, 44.8% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#543924, 23.9% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#826A4F, 8.9% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#ADA381, 8% of the canvas), Light Green (#D3D2B0, 7.4% of the canvas), Soft Green (#848872, 7% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 63% of the light that hits it (LRV 63), 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.