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

Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys Color Palette & Paint Colors

A family of sandy golds and tans, from a pale butter cream to a deep olive-brown. The palette suits a sunny kitchen, hallway or sitting room.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #EEE4B9 on the walls, the tan #BDA578 on the main furniture and the dark #685228 for wood. The gold #A98B5F works as an accent.

Artist: Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas
Date: c. 1860
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 77

Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys by Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas — Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas, *Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys*, c. 1860. 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.

Gold ochre

#A98B5F · 26.3% · LRV 28

Warm sand tan

#BDA578 · 24.8% · LRV 39

Dark honey

#987A4B · 19.8% · LRV 21

Pale wheat

#D4C6A1 · 12.3% · LRV 57

Butter cream

#EEE4B9 · 12.2% · LRV 77

Olive umber

#685228 · 4.5% · LRV 9

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 Spartan Girls Challenging Boys reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Warm sand tan is strongest — Warm sand tan

Detail of the painting where Dark honey is strongest — Dark honey

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

Detail of the painting where Butter cream is strongest — Butter cream

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

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
Gold ochre `#A98B5F`	Behr N270-5 River Road Very close Valspar 3008-7A Grecian Olive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 43 Peristyle Brass Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	28	One bold piece
Warm sand tan `#BDA578`	Valspar 3007-7C Golden Popover Very close Behr HDC-AC-16 Cumin Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9028 Dusted Olive Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark honey `#987A4B`	Behr S280-6 Hazel Very close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6405 Fervent Brass Close	21	One small textile
Pale wheat `#D4C6A1`	Behr HDC-NT-02 White Oak Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6407 Ancestral Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Very close Valspar 3008-8B Ancient Scroll Very close	57	Small accents, art, accessories
Butter cream `#EEE4B9`	Behr PPU9-13 Yellow Wax Pepper Near-identical Valspar 6008-5B Heart of Palm Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 71 Pale Hound Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6701 Moonraker Very close	77	Main walls
Olive umber `#685228`	Behr 300F-7 Centaur Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	9	Wood and frames

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 butter 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#D1CEB6

North light cools the cream #EEE4B9 (LRV 77), so it may look closer to a soft ivory.

South-facing room#F2E4BA

South light makes the golds richer and the cream almost glowing, which suits a room with good shade.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C9B487

Under warm bulbs the palette deepens into amber and the cream turns slightly golden.

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 umber and the rug border takes Dark honey in every combination.

Mood board

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

Butter cream

Warm sand tan

Gold ochre

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Young Spartan Girls Challenging Boys

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

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FAQ

Is this a good palette for a small room?

The cream #EEE4B9 has an LRV of 77 and bounces light, while the tans stay in the mid range at LRV 21 to 39.

Are the colors too similar?

They share a warm yellow undertone, which is why they blend easily. The dark #685228 gives the contrast.

What should I use for trim?

The painting has no white, so pick a trim paint lighter than #EEE4B9 and test it beside the wall.

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.