19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

Monsieur Tortoni Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Monsieur Tortoni by baron François Pascal Simon Gérard, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Warm Olive for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Green to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: baron François Pascal Simon Gérard
Date: c. 1820
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

Monsieur Tortoni by baron François Pascal Simon Gérard — baron François Pascal Simon Gérard, *Monsieur Tortoni*, c. 1820. The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.

Soft Black

#26241E · 45.4% · LRV 2

Deep Green

#4E5746 · 21.3% · LRV 9

Ink Green

#32372D · 20.1% · LRV 4

Warm Olive

#86805E · 9% · LRV 21

Warm Yellow

#B28657 · 2.4% · LRV 27

Pale Yellow

#FFD8A9 · 1.8% · LRV 73

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Black is strongest — Soft Black

Detail of the painting where Deep Green is strongest — Deep Green

Detail of the painting where Ink Green is strongest — Ink Green

Detail of the painting where Warm Olive is strongest — Warm Olive

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm Yellow

Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest — Pale Yellow

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
Soft Black `#26241E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Green `#4E5746`	Sherwin-Williams SW 65 Vogue Green Very close Behr N370-7 Night Mission Very close Valspar 5006-4C Treeline Close Farrow & Ball No. 93 Studio Green Similar	9	One bold piece
Ink Green `#32372D`	Behr S-H-780 Thorny Branch Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6216 Jasper Close Valspar 6011-5 Aged Pine Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Olive `#86805E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7729 Edamame Very close Valspar 6007-4C Mountain Olive Very close Behr HDC-AC-17 Meadowland Very close Farrow & Ball No. 292 Treron Similar	21	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Yellow `#B28657`	Behr UL160-2 Gold Plated Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Very close Valspar 3003-7C Corner Café Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	27	One small textile
Pale Yellow `#FFD8A9`	Valspar 2005-2B Sand Swept Very close Behr QE-19 September Sun Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6666 Enjoyable Yellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	73	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 pale yellow 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#DCC6AC

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#FFDBAE

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2AD7E

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Warm Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Warm Olive

Deep Green

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

Green Room Color Combination Green

More palettes like this

Dancers in the Rehearsal Room with a Double Bass Edgar Degas, ca. 1882–85

Pasture in Normandy Constant Troyon, 1852

Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher) Édouard Manet, 1865–67

FAQ

What colors are in Monsieur Tortoni?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#26241E, 45.4% of the canvas), Deep Green (#4E5746, 21.3% of the canvas), Ink Green (#32372D, 20.1% of the canvas), Warm Olive (#86805E, 9% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B28657, 2.4% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFD8A9, 1.8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 73% of the light that hits it (LRV 73), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.