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

The Two Sisters Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Fragonard's The Two Sisters, an oil on canvas from around 1769 to 1770 held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its warm browns, ochres and cream suit rooms with wood floors, leather or linen upholstery, and warm lighting.

Quick answer

Use the pale parchment cream on the walls. Put the dark russet brown on wood, such as floors or a table, and the terracotta rust on textiles like cushions or curtains. Use the soft honey gold for larger pieces, the muted ochre tan for small accents, and the deep warm umber for the darkest anchors, such as a door or trim.

Artist: Jean Honoré Fragonard
Date: ca. 1769–70
Movement: 18th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

The Two Sisters by Jean Honoré Fragonard — Jean Honoré Fragonard, *The Two Sisters*, ca. 1769–70. 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 warm umber

#463A2C · 38.4% · LRV 5

Dark russet brown

#5C4536 · 26.5% · LRV 7

Muted ochre tan

#A98F64 · 18.3% · LRV 29

Pale parchment cream

#E4D2A9 · 8.9% · LRV 66

Terracotta rust

#8F503E · 5% · LRV 12

Soft honey gold

#D8AE6F · 2.9% · LRV 46

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.

The Two Sisters reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Muted ochre tan is strongest — Muted ochre tan

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

Detail of the painting where Terracotta rust is strongest — Terracotta rust

Detail of the painting where Soft honey gold is strongest — Soft honey gold

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 warm umber `#463A2C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Close Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark russet brown `#5C4536`	Behr N190-7 Moose Trail Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6083 Sable Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	7	Wood and frames
Muted ochre tan `#A98F64`	Behr N270-5 River Road Very close Valspar 3005-9B Hot-Crossed Bun Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 43 Peristyle Brass Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	29	One bold piece
Pale parchment cream `#E4D2A9`	Behr UL180-11 Lemon Drop Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6400 Lucent Yellow Near-identical Valspar 3006-8B Light Amber Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close	66	Main walls
Terracotta rust `#8F503E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7598 Sierra Redwood Very close Valspar 2009-6 Autumn Russet Very close Behr QE-14 Spiced Red Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	12	One small textile
Soft honey gold `#D8AE6F`	Behr HDC-AC-08 Mustard Field Very close Valspar 3005-5B Creamy Orange Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9026 Tarnished Trumpet Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	46	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 parchment 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#CAC2AC

The parchment cream wall reads cooler and grayer in north light. The warm yellow undertone will look softer and less bright, so the room feels calm.

South-facing room#EAD6AE

Strong south light brightens the parchment cream and pushes its yellow undertone forward. The wall reflects a lot of light, so the room can feel warm and open, but test a sample on a sunny afternoon first.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C3AA7E

Warm evening bulbs deepen the honey gold, ochre and rust tones. The browns look richer, and the cream takes on a golden glow.

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 russet brown and the rug border takes Terracotta rust in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale parchment cream

Soft honey gold

Muted ochre tan

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

Rust Color Paint: Terracotta Shades for Interior Walls Terracotta

More palettes like this

Still Life with a Vase of Flowers, Melon, Peaches, and Grapes Charlotte Eustache Sophie de Fuligny Damas, marquise de Grollier, 1780

The Mass of Saint Basil Pierre Hubert Subleyras, 1746

Portrait of a Woman Jean Marc Nattier, 1753

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest brown?

The darkest shade has an LRV of 5, so it reads very dark and absorbs most of the light. Use it on one wall, a door or built-in trim in a room with good light. Keep the walls in the pale parchment cream to balance it.

Will the warm undertones look too yellow in my room?

The cream and honey gold have warm yellow undertones, which show more in north light and under warm bulbs. Test a sample on the wall at different times of day. If it looks too yellow, pair the cream with a warmer white on trim.

How do I pair the terracotta rust with the wood tones?

Use the terracotta rust on textiles, such as cushions, a throw or curtains, and keep the russet brown on the wood. Because both are warm reds and browns, a single textile in rust can link the wood to the walls without competing with them.

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.