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

Landscape with Travelers on a Woodland Path Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from a woodland scene painted on copper around 1607. It runs from deep browns and olive greens to a pale, slightly green wall tone, so it suits rooms that want a quiet, earthy base with one light surface to lift the space.

Quick answer

Use the pale green-gray #D4D3B9 on the main walls. Put the warm tan #A1906B on a secondary wall or in soft furnishings, the deep olive #696B54 in textiles, the dark oak #665033 in wood and frames, and the darkest browns #3E3424 and #382A1E as small accents in shelves, doors, or trim.

Artist: Jan Brueghel the Elder
Date: ca. 1607
Movement: 17th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 64

Landscape with Travelers on a Woodland Path by Jan Brueghel the Elder — Jan Brueghel the Elder, *Landscape with Travelers on a Woodland Path*, ca. 1607. 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.

Deep umber shadow

#3E3424 · 35.6% · LRV 4

Dark walnut brown

#382A1E · 29.4% · LRV 3

Dark oak brown

#665033 · 12.7% · LRV 9

Muted olive gray

#696B54 · 11.2% · LRV 14

Pale sage cream

#D4D3B9 · 7.3% · LRV 64

Warm sandy tan

#A1906B · 3.8% · LRV 29

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.

Landscape with Travelers on a Woodland Path reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep umber shadow is strongest — Deep umber shadow

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

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

Detail of the painting where Muted olive gray is strongest — Muted olive gray

Detail of the painting where Pale sage cream is strongest — Pale sage cream

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

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
Deep umber shadow `#3E3424`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar	4	One bold piece
Dark walnut brown `#382A1E`	Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark oak brown `#665033`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9115 Cowboy Boots Very close Behr N250-7 Mission Brown Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	Wood and frames
Muted olive gray `#696B54`	Valspar 6001-4C Tarragon Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss Very close Behr 720D-6 Toasted Walnut Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Close	14	One small textile
Pale sage cream `#D4D3B9`	Behr PPU9-17 Pale Cucumber Near-identical Valspar 6005-3A Olive White Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 29 Acanthus Very close Farrow & Ball No. 206 Green Ground Close	64	Main walls
Warm sandy tan `#A1906B`	Valspar 6008-4B Caraway Shield Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7731 San Antonio Sage Very close Behr 290F-4 Cliff Rock Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	29	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 sage 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#C0C3B6

North light is cool and even, so the pale wall will look greener and a little grayer. Pair it with warm wood tones to keep the room from feeling flat.

South-facing room#DDD7BA

Strong south light brings out the warm yellow in the palette and makes the wall look brighter and softer. The deep browns will hold their depth without turning harsh.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BAAA87

Under warm evening bulbs the pale wall shifts toward cream, and the tan and oak tones deepen into a cozy glow. The olive textiles will look richer at this hour.

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 Dark oak brown and the rug border takes Muted olive gray in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale sage cream

Warm sandy tan

Deep umber shadow

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Landscape with Travelers on a Woodland Path

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

Basement Bedroom Paint Colors for Rooms With Little Light Dark room · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Vanitas Still Life Jacques de Gheyn II, 1603

Landscape with Hunters Paul Bril, 1619

Christ on the Cross Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri), ca. 1615–20

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest browns?

You can, but keep the pale wall color on at least one wall or the ceiling. Very dark colors reflect little light, so a room painted only in these shades will feel closed in, especially in north light.

Which color should I use for the main wall?

Use the pale sage cream #D4D3B9 for the main walls. It has the highest light reflectance in the palette, at an LRV of 64, so it will keep the room bright and let the darker colors read as accents.

How do I use the olive and tan colors without the room looking dull?

Use the olive #696B54 in one or two textiles, such as a rug or chair, and the warm tan #A1906B on a single wall or in cushions. Balance them with the pale wall so the mid-tones add warmth without taking over.

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.