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

Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Jean Honoré Fragonard's painting Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog, ca. 1769, in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is built on warm browns and clay tones with one pale wall shade and one cool dark note, which suits living rooms, dens and bedrooms that need warmth.

Quick answer

Use #E3CBAD on the walls and #CA9D81 on one large piece such as a sofa or curtains. Put #8B8373 on wood floors or case furniture, #825744 on a chair or trim, #5C2F22 on textiles and cushions, and #253B40 on a door or small built-in.

Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard
Date: ca. 1769
Movement: 18th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog by Jean Honoré Fragonard — Jean Honoré Fragonard, *Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog*, ca. 1769. 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.

Warm Taupe Gray

#8B8373 · 48.3% · LRV 23

Deep Rust Brown

#825744 · 17% · LRV 12

Pale Honey Cream

#E3CBAD · 11.8% · LRV 62

Soft Clay Terracotta

#CA9D81 · 9.3% · LRV 38

Dark Chestnut Brown

#5C2F22 · 8.6% · LRV 4

Deep Slate Blue

#253B40 · 5% · LRV 4

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.

Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Warm Taupe Gray is strongest — Warm Taupe Gray

Detail of the painting where Deep Rust Brown is strongest — Deep Rust Brown

Detail of the painting where Pale Honey Cream is strongest — Pale Honey Cream

Detail of the painting where Soft Clay Terracotta is strongest — Soft Clay Terracotta

Detail of the painting where Dark Chestnut Brown is strongest — Dark Chestnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Deep Slate Blue is strongest — Deep Slate Blue

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
Warm Taupe Gray `#8B8373`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6172 Hardware Near-identical Behr N230-5 Dry Brown Near-identical Valspar 6002-2B Mossy Aura Very close Farrow & Ball No. 292 Treron Close	23	Wood and frames
Deep Rust Brown `#825744`	Behr QE-15 Iron Oxide Very close Valspar 2011-6 Cowboy Suede Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6054 Canyon Clay Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	12	One bold piece
Pale Honey Cream `#E3CBAD`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6113 Interactive Cream Very close Behr MQ3-44 Ancient Scroll Very close Valspar 3002-10B Wheat Toast Very close Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground Very close	62	Main walls
Soft Clay Terracotta `#CA9D81`	Valspar 2005-5C Ginger Bite Very close Behr HDC-AC-02 Copper Moon Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 39 Portrait Tone Very close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	38	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark Chestnut Brown `#5C2F22`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6048 Terra Brun Close Behr N160-7 Brown Velvet Close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar	4	One small textile
Deep Slate Blue `#253B40`	Behr 740F-7 Night Shade Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6237 Dark Night Very close Valspar 5010-3 Deep River Green Similar Farrow & Ball No. 30 Hague Blue Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories

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 honey 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#C9BEAF

In north light the wall color #E3CBAD looks softer and a little cooler. Its LRV of 62 still reads light, so the room stays bright.

South-facing room#E9D1B1

In strong south light the warm yellow undertone of #E3CBAD comes forward and the wall looks lighter and more golden. Check a large sample at midday before you commit.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C2A581

Under warm evening bulbs the wall glows and the warm undertones in the palette deepen. The cool dark #253B40 keeps its blue character, so it works best as a small contrast.

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 Taupe Gray 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 Honey Cream

Soft Clay Terracotta

Deep Rust Brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog

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

Mediterranean Exterior Paint Color Schemes House exterior · Mediterranean

Hallway Paint Colors Hallway

More palettes like this

Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist and Angels François Boucher, 1765

The Fountain Hubert Robert, 1777–79

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

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the wall color?

Yes. #E3CBAD has an LRV of 62, which reads light and reflects light well, so it suits a full room. Pair it with the clay and rust shades on furniture and textiles to add depth.

How do I use the very dark colors without closing in the room?

Keep the darkest shades small. #5C2F22 works well on cushions, rugs or throws, and #253B40 with an LRV of 4 suits a door, a bookcase back or a frame. Large areas of either can make a small room feel enclosed.

Should the wood color match the floor and furniture?

The mid-tone #8B8373 is meant for wood and larger pieces. Using it on both floors and furniture keeps the room unified. Add the rust and clay shades in smaller pieces so the scheme does not look 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.