North-facing room
#CFC9BENorth light is cooler, so the warm yellow undertone of the cream will look softer and a little greyer. Its LRV of 73 still keeps the room bright.
19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette
Arlésiennes (Mistral) Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette comes from Paul Gauguin's Arlésiennes (Mistral), painted in 1888 and held by The Art Institute of Chicago. It pairs olive green and warm cream with deep navy, ochre, brick red and pale yellow, so it suits rooms that want warmth with some depth.
Quick answer
Use the warm cream on the walls and the olive green on a large piece or a feature wall. Keep the ochre for small accents, and use the pale yellow in textiles such as cushions or curtains.
- Artist
- Paul Gauguin
- Date
- 1888
- Movement
- 19th-century French painting
- Collection
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 73
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.
Muted olive green
Soft warm cream
Deep navy blue
Burnt ochre gold
Brick red-orange
Pale butter yellow
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Muted olive green#73884E |
|
22 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Soft warm cream#EBDCC4 |
|
73 | Main walls |
Deep navy blue#263D5B |
|
5 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Burnt ochre gold#BA8034 |
|
26 | One bold piece |
Brick red-orange#BB5038 |
|
17 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Pale butter yellow#E3CF63 |
|
62 | One small textile |
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 soft 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.
South-facing room
#EFDEC3Strong south light brings out the warmth in the cream, so it can look brighter and more yellow. Its high LRV reflects a lot of light, so check a large sample on a few walls before you commit.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#C7AF8DWarm evening bulbs push the yellow undertones forward. The cream will glow, and the olive green will look more muted and slightly warmer than it does by day.
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.
Wood takes a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Pale butter yellow in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Soft warm cream
Muted olive green
Burnt ochre gold
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
Can I use the deep navy in a room?
Yes, but use it in small amounts. Its LRV of 5 is very dark and absorbs most of the light, so it works best on a door, trim or one wall in a room with good daylight.
Which color should go on the main wall?
The warm cream is the best choice for most walls. Its LRV of 73 reads light and bounces light around the room. The olive green, with an LRV of 22, works better as a feature wall or on large furniture.
How do I test these colors before painting?
Order small sample pots or paint large swatches on poster board. Look at each one in the morning, at midday and under your evening lamps, then decide. The colors here were measured from a painting, so your room will show them differently.
Image: The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.