17th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette

Young Herdsmen with Cows Color Palette & Paint Colors

Cuyp's "Young Herdsmen with Cows" pairs a pale sage with warm cream and ochres. It suits a gentle, airy living room or kitchen.

Quick answer

Use the cream #EBDEB3 on the walls, the sage #B0B4A4 for main furniture and #665737 for wood. Add #A48852 as an accent.

Artist: Aelbert Cuyp
Date: ca. 1655–60
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

Young Herdsmen with Cows by Aelbert Cuyp — Aelbert Cuyp, *Young Herdsmen with Cows*, ca. 1655–60. 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.

Pale Sage

#B0B4A4 · 30.7% · LRV 45

Light Wheat Cream

#EBDEB3 · 28.2% · LRV 73

Dark Earth Brown

#3B3326 · 20.1% · LRV 3

Olive Bronze

#665737 · 11.1% · LRV 10

Antique Ochre

#A48852 · 9% · LRV 26

Amber Gold

#C08B44 · 0.9% · LRV 30

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.

Young Herdsmen with Cows reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Light Wheat Cream is strongest — Light Wheat Cream

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

Detail of the painting where Olive Bronze is strongest — Olive Bronze

Detail of the painting where Antique Ochre is strongest — Antique Ochre

Detail of the painting where Amber Gold is strongest — Amber Gold

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
Pale Sage `#B0B4A4`	Sherwin-Williams SW 66 Cascade Green Very close Behr PPU11-09 Environmental Very close Farrow & Ball No. 91 Blue Gray Very close Valspar 5005-4A Ballroom Dancing Close	45	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Wheat Cream `#EBDEB3`	Farrow & Ball No. 71 Pale Hound Very close Behr 340E-3 Bavarian Cream Very close Valspar 6008-5B Heart of Palm Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6701 Moonraker Very close	73	Main walls
Dark Earth Brown `#3B3326`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Olive Bronze `#665737`	Behr 700D-7 South Kingston Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Close Valspar 6010-4 Amazon Silt Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Antique Ochre `#A48852`	Behr N290-6 Trinket Gold Very close Valspar 3008-7A Grecian Olive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6410 Brassy Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	26	One bold piece
Amber Gold `#C08B44`	Behr UL150-1 Golden Leaf Very close Valspar 3009-5 Pumpkin Squash Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6383 Golden Rule Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	30	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 wheat 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#CFCAB2

In north light the sage #B0B4A4 at LRV 45 looks cooler and grayer. The cream walls keep the palette warm.

South-facing room#EFE0B6

In strong south light the ochre #A48852 and amber #C08B44 look warm and golden.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C7B084

Under warm evening bulbs the cream becomes buttery, and the dark brown #3B3326 at LRV 3 nearly disappears.

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 Olive Bronze and the rug border takes Amber Gold in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Wheat Cream

Pale Sage

Antique Ochre

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Young Herdsmen with Cows

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

Exterior Paint Colors with White Trim House exterior · White

More palettes like this

A Beach with Fishing Boats Jan van Goyen, probably 1653

A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water Jan van de Cappelle, ca. 1660

Still Life with a Glass and Oysters Jan Davidsz de Heem, ca. 1640

FAQ

What is the wall color in this palette?

The cream #EBDEB3, with an LRV of 73.

Which color is the main furniture color?

The pale sage #B0B4A4, with an LRV of 45 and a green undertone.

How do I use the amber?

Only in small touches, since it covers just 0.9% of the painting.

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.