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

An Evening School Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from An Evening School, an oil on wood painting by Gerrit Dou, ca. 1655–57, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Most of the image is near-black, with warm browns and pale ochre tones that suit rooms wanting depth and a cozy, lamplit feel.

Quick answer

Use the pale wheat #E1BF90 on the main walls and the light ochre #DBA771 on large nearby surfaces. Put the mid tan #A77E59 on wood trim or floors, the deep brown #755741 on textiles, and the dark cocoa #4C382F on a single accent wall or door. Keep the charcoal #242422 for small details or the darkest corner.

Artist: Gerrit Dou
Date: ca. 1655–57
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 55

An Evening School by Gerrit Dou — Gerrit Dou, *An Evening School*, ca. 1655–57. 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.

Charcoal neutral black

#242422 · 67.5% · LRV 2

Dark cocoa brown

#4C382F · 19.7% · LRV 5

Deep walnut brown

#755741 · 6.9% · LRV 11

Warm toffee tan

#A77E59 · 3.4% · LRV 24

Light ochre gold

#DBA771 · 1.4% · LRV 44

Pale wheat sand

#E1BF90 · 1.2% · LRV 55

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.

An Evening School reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Charcoal neutral black is strongest — Charcoal neutral black

Detail of the painting where Dark cocoa brown is strongest — Dark cocoa brown

Detail of the painting where Deep walnut brown is strongest — Deep walnut brown

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

Detail of the painting where Light ochre gold is strongest — Light ochre gold

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

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
Charcoal neutral black `#242422`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 770F-7 Beluga Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark cocoa brown `#4C382F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6076 Turkish Coffee Near-identical Behr S-G-760 Chocolate Coco Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar Valspar 4002-2C Black Raisin Similar	5	One bold piece
Deep walnut brown `#755741`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6089 Grounded Very close Behr PPU4-20 Ancient Root Very close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	11	One small textile
Warm toffee tan `#A77E59`	Valspar 3003-7B Leather Satchel Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6117 Smokey Topaz Very close Behr HDC-CL-18A Butter Caramel Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	24	Wood and frames
Light ochre gold `#DBA771`	Valspar 3002-5C Frankincense Very close Behr HDC-FL13-2 Corn Maze Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6367 Viva Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	44	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale wheat sand `#E1BF90`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9023 Dakota Wheat Near-identical Valspar 3003-6A Kidskin Buff Very close Behr 300E-3 Clair De Lune Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Close	55	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 wheat sand 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#C9B69C

In north light, the pale wheat wall looks cooler and a little grayer. The warm yellow undertone softens, so the room feels calm rather than bright.

South-facing room#E8C89A

In strong south light, the pale wheat wall brightens and its yellow undertone becomes more visible. The browns look richer, and the ochre reads clearly as a warm gold.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C19F70

Under warm evening bulbs, the wall and ochre glow and the room feels closer and more golden. The dark cocoa and walnut deepen, and the charcoal stays dark and neutral.

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 toffee tan and the rug border takes Deep walnut brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale wheat sand

Light ochre gold

Dark cocoa brown

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

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Man Pieter van Slingelandt, ca. 1680

Cephalus and Procris Godfried Schalcken, probably 1680s

A Young Woman as a Shepherdess Govert Flinck

FAQ

Can I use the darkest color on a whole room?

You can, but it works best as a single accent wall or in a small room with plenty of lamp light. Test a large swatch first, since the color reads close to black at its LRV of 2.

Which color should I pick for a small room?

Use the pale wheat #E1BF90 on the walls. Its LRV of 55 bounces more light than the darker shades, so the room feels more open.

How do I balance the warm browns with the rest of the room?

Pair the browns with the pale wheat or light ochre so the room has lighter and darker areas. Add natural wood or warm metal finishes to keep the palette from feeling flat.

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.