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

Medea Rejuvenating Aeson Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Medea Rejuvenating Aeson by Corrado Giaquinto, 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 Light Linen on most walls, use Warm Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Shadow Umber to one bold piece. Warm Ochre suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Corrado Giaquinto
Date: ca. 1760
Movement: 18th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 66

Medea Rejuvenating Aeson by Corrado Giaquinto — Corrado Giaquinto, *Medea Rejuvenating Aeson*, ca. 1760. 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.

Shadow Umber

#55453C · 43.8% · LRV 7

Deep Umber

#6A5749 · 29% · LRV 10

Soft Umber

#604B3F · 10% · LRV 8

Warm Ochre

#9D7E65 · 8.5% · LRV 23

Warm Linen

#B39E8B · 6% · LRV 36

Light Linen

#E5D1BD · 2.7% · LRV 66

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.

Medea Rejuvenating Aeson reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Light Linen is strongest — Light Linen

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
Shadow Umber `#55453C`	Behr BXC-79 Center Earth Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6041 Otter Very close Valspar 2011-10 Cabin Plank Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Close	7	One bold piece
Deep Umber `#6A5749`	Behr UL160-22 Cacao Very close Valspar 2004-9A Deep Walnut Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7515 Homestead Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Umber `#604B3F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6083 Sable Near-identical Behr UL130-2 Roasted Nuts Very close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	8	One small textile
Warm Ochre `#9D7E65`	Behr MQ2-11 Outdoor Land Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2823 Rookwood Clay Very close Valspar 3001-7B Tender Twig Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	23	Wood and frames
Warm Linen `#B39E8B`	Behr MQ2-47 Midtown Very close Valspar 2007-9C Woodland Stone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6087 Trusty Tan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Very close	36	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Linen `#E5D1BD`	Behr S240-2 Rice Crackers Near-identical Valspar 2008-8C Strawberry Malt Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7711 Pueblo Very close Farrow & Ball No. 226 Joa's White Close	66	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 light linen 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#CBC1B9

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

South-facing room#EBD6BD

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)#C4A98A

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 Warm Ochre and the rug border takes Soft Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Linen

Warm Linen

Shadow Umber

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Medea Rejuvenating Aeson

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

Zen Bedroom Colors for a Calm Japandi Room Japandi style

More palettes like this

The Triumph of Marius Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1729

Fantastic Landscape Francesco Guardi, ca. 1765

The Sacrifice of Isaac Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, mid-1750s

FAQ

What colors are in Medea Rejuvenating Aeson?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Shadow Umber (#55453C, 43.8% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#6A5749, 29% of the canvas), Soft Umber (#604B3F, 10% of the canvas), Warm Ochre (#9D7E65, 8.5% of the canvas), Warm Linen (#B39E8B, 6% of the canvas), Light Linen (#E5D1BD, 2.7% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 66% of the light that hits it (LRV 66), 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 Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.