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

A Young Woman as a Shepherdess Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is measured from Govert Flinck's oil painting "A Young Woman as a Shepherdess" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is a warm set of browns, ochres and creams, held together by a deep near-black that appears across most of the canvas.

Quick answer

Use the pale butter cream on the walls and the soft apricot clay on a large textile or upholstered piece. Bring in the deep warm brown for wood furniture and the ochre for small accents, and keep the near-black for trim, frames or a single dark anchor.

Artist: Govert Flinck
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 78

A Young Woman as a Shepherdess by Govert Flinck — Govert Flinck, *A Young Woman as a Shepherdess*. 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

#1C1713 · 63.2% · LRV 1

Deep warm brown

#706045 · 18.5% · LRV 12

Muted khaki taupe

#938369 · 11.9% · LRV 24

Warm ochre brown

#B5844A · 2.4% · LRV 27

Soft apricot clay

#E4A787 · 2.1% · LRV 46

Pale butter cream

#FFE2A6 · 1.9% · LRV 78

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.

A Young Woman as a Shepherdess 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 warm brown is strongest — Deep warm brown

Detail of the painting where Muted khaki taupe is strongest — Muted khaki taupe

Detail of the painting where Warm ochre brown is strongest — Warm ochre brown

Detail of the painting where Soft apricot clay is strongest — Soft apricot clay

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

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 `#1C1713`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep warm brown `#706045`	Behr PPU7-02 Tree Swing Near-identical Valspar 6008-2C Prairie Foliage Close Sherwin-Williams SW 2843 Roycroft Brass Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	12	Wood and frames
Muted khaki taupe `#938369`	Valspar 3007-9B Winter Delta Near-identical Behr PPU7-03 Macchiato Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7737 Meadow Trail Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	24	One small textile
Warm ochre brown `#B5844A`	Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Very close Behr MQ4-9 Rice Curry Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	27	One bold piece
Soft apricot clay `#E4A787`	Behr M220-4 Trick Or Treat Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9010 Windswept Canyon Close Valspar 2006-6A Perfect Peach Close	46	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale butter cream `#FFE2A6`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9016 La Luna Amarilla Near-identical Valspar 2008-2B Spun Honey Very close Behr 300A-3 Melted Butter Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	78	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 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#DCCCAA

North light is cooler and softer, so the butter cream can look a little grayer and flatter. Its LRV of 78 still bounces enough light to keep a north-facing room bright.

South-facing room#FFE3AC

Strong south light warms the cream and can make it look close to white in midday sun. Its high LRV handles the glare well, and the apricot and ochre will look richer.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2B37C

Warm evening bulbs push the butter cream toward a golden glow and bring out the yellow undertone. The brown and ochre tones will feel cozy, and the near-black will look deeper.

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 warm brown and the rug border takes Muted khaki taupe in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale butter cream

Soft apricot clay

Warm ochre brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for A Young Woman as a Shepherdess

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

Sage Green Front Door Colors, Shown on Real House Schemes Front door · Sage green

More palettes like this

The Musician Bartholomeus van der Helst, 1662

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

Kitchen Scene Peter Wtewael, 1620s

FAQ

Can I use the near-black in a small room?

Use it sparingly in a small room, such as on a door, window frame or picture frame. A full dark wall would make the space feel smaller.

What wood tones pair well with the butter cream walls?

The deep warm brown is the closest match for wood furniture or floors in this palette. It sits well against the cream and keeps the room grounded.

Does the apricot clay work as a wall color?

It can, but the butter cream is the better choice for the main wall. The apricot works best on a large textile, sofa or accent wall, where it adds warmth without overpowering the room.

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.