18th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

A Shaded Avenue Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built on warm browns, with a deep umber that covers most of the original canvas. It suits rooms that want a quiet, earthy look, such as a study, dining room, or reading corner.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #EAE6CE on the walls and the soft khaki #B0A88C on larger surfaces like a sofa or cabinet. Save the very dark umber #352818 for small accents such as a door, a frame, or a shelf edge.

Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard
Date: ca. 1775
Movement: 18th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 79

A Shaded Avenue by Jean Honoré Fragonard — Jean Honoré Fragonard, *A Shaded Avenue*, ca. 1775. 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.

Very dark umber

#352818 · 60.4% · LRV 2

Dark chestnut brown

#5C4224 · 12.5% · LRV 6

Warm grey khaki

#B0A88C · 12.3% · LRV 39

Pale warm cream

#EAE6CE · 7.2% · LRV 79

Olive-toned bronze

#857353 · 6.9% · LRV 18

Golden oak brown

#957240 · 0.8% · LRV 19

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

Detail of the painting where Very dark umber is strongest — Very dark umber

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

Detail of the painting where Warm grey khaki is strongest — Warm grey khaki

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

Detail of the painting where Olive-toned bronze is strongest — Olive-toned bronze

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

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
Very dark umber `#352818`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar	2	One bold piece
Dark chestnut brown `#5C4224`	Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	6	One small textile
Warm grey khaki `#B0A88C`	Valspar 6008-2A Transitional Tan Very close Behr BNC-14 Over The Taupe Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7736 Garden Sage Very close Farrow & Ball No. 18 French Gray Close	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale warm cream `#EAE6CE`	Behr 760C-2 Country Beige Near-identical Valspar 6007-3A Ginger Sugar Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6420 Queen Anne's Lace Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2010 James White Close	79	Main walls
Olive-toned bronze `#857353`	Behr 700D-6 Belgian Sweet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9124 Verde Marrón Very close Valspar 6008-4C Valencia Moss Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	18	Small accents, art, accessories
Golden oak brown `#957240`	Behr N270-6 Westminster Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7700 Olde World Gold Close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Close	19	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 pale warm 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#CECFC4

In north light the cream wall will look cooler and slightly grayer. Its warm yellow undertone will still show, but more softly, so test a large swatch before committing.

South-facing room#EFE6CB

Strong south light will warm the cream wall and make it look brighter. At this lightness it can look close to white in full sun, so check how it behaves at midday.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C6B593

Under warm evening bulbs the cream wall and khaki surfaces will look richer and more golden. The dark umber will feel deeper and cozier, which suits an evening room.

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 Golden oak brown and the rug border takes Dark chestnut brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale warm cream

Warm grey khaki

Very dark umber

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

Victorian Exterior Paint Schemes House exterior · Victorian

South Facing Bedroom Colors That Stay Cool in Strong Light South-facing · Bedroom

More palettes like this

The Two Sisters Jean Honoré Fragonard, ca. 1769–70

Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Vorlée, 1761–1835) Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, 1783

The Interrupted Sleep François Boucher, 1750

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest color?

The darkest color, #352818, has a light reflectance value of 2, so it reads close to black. It works best as an accent on a door, trim, or built-in piece. Covering a full room with it will make the space feel very enclosed.

Which color should I use for trim and ceilings?

The pale cream #EAE6CE is the lightest option and suits trim and ceilings well. It keeps the room bright while the warmer browns carry the rest of the scheme. Choose a finish that matches how much wear the surface will get.

How accurate are the paint matches?

Each match is the closest commercial paint measured against the original color, not an exact copy. Paint looks different once it is on your walls and under your own lights. Always test a sample on a board or a section of wall before buying a full set of cans.

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.