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

Sunrise Color Palette & Paint Colors

Sunrise pairs a deep umber with sandy beige, a soft sky blue and a bright apricot glow. It suits a bedroom or breakfast nook where you want warmth with one cool accent.

Quick answer

Paint the walls in the apricot cream, hang curtains or add a chair in the sky blue, and use the sandy beige and tan for textiles. Keep the umber and brown for wood and a few deep accents.

Artist: Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)
Date: possibly 1646–47
Movement: 17th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 74

Sunrise by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) — Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée), *Sunrise*, possibly 1646–47. 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.

Dark Umber

#473E2E · 50.9% · LRV 5

Sandy Beige

#D7C4A7 · 19.8% · LRV 57

Tawny Tan

#927757 · 12.8% · LRV 20

Pale Sky Blue

#A9CBDD · 9.8% · LRV 56

Walnut Brown

#724E34 · 4.9% · LRV 9

Apricot Cream

#FFD9AC · 1.8% · LRV 74

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Dark Umber is strongest — Dark Umber

Detail of the painting where Sandy Beige is strongest — Sandy Beige

Detail of the painting where Tawny Tan is strongest — Tawny Tan

Detail of the painting where Pale Sky Blue is strongest — Pale Sky Blue

Detail of the painting where Walnut Brown is strongest — Walnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Apricot Cream is strongest — Apricot 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
Dark Umber `#473E2E`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	5	One bold piece
Sandy Beige `#D7C4A7`	Behr MQ2-23 Almond Butter Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground Near-identical Valspar 3005-10B Gardenia Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6120 Believable Buff Near-identical	57	Small accents, art, accessories
Tawny Tan `#927757`	Behr BXC-08 Safari Brown Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9114 Fallen Leaves Very close Valspar 3002-9B Mocha Syrup Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	20	One small textile
Pale Sky Blue `#A9CBDD`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6506 Vast Sky Very close Valspar 5001-7B Ice Sculpture Very close Behr S520-3 Perfect Landing Very close Farrow & Ball No. 89 Lulworth Blue Similar	56	Bed, sofa, curtains
Walnut Brown `#724E34`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Very close Behr BXC-65 Outback Brown Very close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Close	9	Wood and frames
Apricot Cream `#FFD9AC`	Valspar 2005-2B Sand Swept Very close Behr P240-2 Peach Glow Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6666 Enjoyable Yellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Similar	74	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 apricot 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#DCC7AE

North light cools the sky blue (LRV 56) and mutes the sandy beige. The apricot wall color (LRV 74) holds enough warmth to keep the room friendly.

South-facing room#FFDCB0

In bright south light the apricot cream glows and can look more orange, so test it with a large sample. The blue stays soft and clear.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2AD80

Evening bulbs push everything warmer. The beige and tan look richer, and the sky blue becomes a gentler gray-blue.

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 Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Tawny Tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Apricot Cream

Pale Sky Blue

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

Earth Tone Color Palette for Home: Browns, Tans and a Touch of Blue Earthy

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Man Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1693

Lute Player Valentin de Boulogne, ca. 1625–26

Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun Nicolas Poussin, 1658

FAQ

Does the sky blue work as a wall color?

Yes. At LRV 56 it is light enough for a small room, and it pairs well with the warm beige and tan in the same palette.

How much dark color should I use?

The umber (LRV 5) covers about half of the painting, but at home a little goes a long way. Use it for a rug, a frame or a dark wood table.

Which colors are best for trim?

The apricot cream at LRV 74 is a soft trim color that matches the wall. For more contrast, use the sandy beige on the baseboards.

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.