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

Charity Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from Charity, an oil on canvas by Cesare Dandini, ca. 1630, held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its deep browns, slate blue, camel and rust, with a pale warm cream, suit rooms that need warmth and depth.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream on the walls and the camel for large furniture or a secondary wall. Put the walnut brown on wood pieces and the slate blue on textiles such as curtains or upholstery, use the rust for small accents like pillows or art, and keep the near-black for the deepest shadows or trim.

Artist: Cesare Dandini
Date: ca. 1630
Movement: 17th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Charity by Cesare Dandini — Cesare Dandini, *Charity*, ca. 1630. 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.

Near-Black Charcoal

#2B2925 · 53.4% · LRV 2

Deep Walnut Brown

#795C3E · 19.7% · LRV 12

Deep Slate Blue

#365276 · 8.9% · LRV 8

Warm Camel Tan

#C9A17B · 7.5% · LRV 39

Brick Rust Red

#A7543E · 5.6% · LRV 15

Pale Cream Wheat

#F2E0B8 · 5% · LRV 76

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Near-Black Charcoal is strongest — Near-Black Charcoal

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Slate Blue is strongest — Deep Slate Blue

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

Detail of the painting where Brick Rust Red is strongest — Brick Rust Red

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

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
Near-Black Charcoal `#2B2925`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Walnut Brown `#795C3E`	Behr MQ2-9 Clockworks Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Very close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	12	Wood and frames
Deep Slate Blue `#365276`	Behr S500-7 Infinite Deep Sea Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6531 Indigo Close Valspar 4010-7 Precious Sapphire Close Farrow & Ball No. 281 Stiffkey Blue Similar	8	One small textile
Warm Camel Tan `#C9A17B`	Behr PPU4-16 Kenya Near-identical Valspar 3002-7C Pale Blush Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6115 Totally Tan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Brick Rust Red `#A7543E`	Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Very close Behr BIC-45 Airbrushed Copper Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6629 Jalapeño Very close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Close	15	One bold piece
Pale Cream Wheat `#F2E0B8`	Behr PPU6-12 Calla Near-identical Valspar 3006-6C Demure Yellow Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6679 Full Moon Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close	76	Main walls

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 cream wheat 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#D4CBB6

In north light the cream wall (LRV 76) reads softer and a little cooler, and its warm yellow undertone becomes more noticeable. It still bounces enough light to keep a room from feeling closed in.

South-facing room#F5E1BA

In strong south light the cream wall looks brighter and warmer, and it can read close to white. The camel and rust accents will look more saturated against it.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CAB186

Under warm evening bulbs the cream takes on a golden glow and feels richer. The slate blue textiles will look deeper, and the brown wood pieces will blend more closely with the walls.

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 Deep Slate Blue in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Cream Wheat

Warm Camel Tan

Brick Rust Red

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

Dark Blue House Exterior: Navy Walls With Trim and Door Colors House exterior · Navy

Dark Paint Colors for Rooms, Measured From Paintings Dark

More palettes like this

The Parable of the Mote and the Beam Domenico Fetti, ca. 1619

Alexander the Great Rescued from the River Cydnus Pietro Testa, ca. 1650

Cain Slaying Abel Pier Francesco Mola, ca. 1650–52

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the near-black charcoal?

The near-black (LRV 2) absorbs most of the light that hits it, so a full room in this color can feel very closed in. Use it on one wall, a door, or the trim, where it adds depth without overwhelming the space.

Will the cream wall work in a small room with little daylight?

Yes, the cream (LRV 76) reflects a lot of light, which helps a small or dim room feel more open. Its warm undertone will look cozier under evening lamps than under daylight.

How do I balance the camel and the cream on the walls?

Use the cream as the main wall color and the camel on one large piece, such as a sofa, chair, or a single accent wall. Because the camel (LRV 39) is darker, it adds contrast without making the room feel dark.

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.