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

Irises Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Irises by Vincent van Gogh, 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 Soft White on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Blue to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Green works best in a single textile.

Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Date: 1890
Movement: 19th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 75

Irises by Vincent van Gogh — Vincent van Gogh, *Irises*, 1890. 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.

Soft White

#E5E0DC · 51.5% · LRV 75

Soft Blue

#6C8595 · 20.2% · LRV 22

Soft Green

#6EB089 · 12% · LRV 36

Deep Blue

#3D6998 · 5.6% · LRV 13

Ink Blue

#283955 · 5.6% · LRV 4

Warm Yellow

#9B976C · 5% · LRV 30

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm 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 White `#E5E0DC`	Farrow & Ball No. 2001 Strong White Near-identical Behr UL250-13 White Opal Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7077 Original White Near-identical Valspar 7001-9 Ballroom Belle Very close	75	Main walls
Soft Blue `#6C8595`	Behr MQ5-60 South Pacific Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6242 Bracing Blue Close Valspar 4008-6B Celebration Blue Close Farrow & Ball No. 299 De Nimes Similar	22	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Green `#6EB089`	Behr M440-5 Lunar Tide Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9035 Frosted Emerald Very close Valspar 6003-10B Divot Close Farrow & Ball No. 214 Arsenic Similar	36	One small textile
Deep Blue `#3D6998`	Valspar 4006-10C Vivid Blue Very close Behr MQ4-24 Electric Blue Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6530 Revel Blue Close Farrow & Ball No. 220 Pitch Blue Similar	13	One bold piece
Ink Blue `#283955`	Behr M500-7 Very Navy Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9176 Dress Blues Close Valspar 4011-3 Blue Coal Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#9B976C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7726 Lemon Verbena Near-identical Valspar 6003-4B Prairie Brush Very close Behr N300-5 Hidden Treasure Very close Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Similar	30	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 soft white 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#CBCBCD

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

South-facing room#EBE1D6

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)#C4B19B

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 Soft Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft White

Warm Yellow

Deep Blue

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

Exterior Paint Colors with White Trim House exterior · White

Paint Colors for a Small Living Room with Brown Furniture Small room · Living room

Grey Exterior House Colors: 4 Full Schemes House exterior · Grey

More palettes like this

Gathering Wood Anton Mauve

Olive Trees Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Roses Vincent van Gogh, 1890

FAQ

What colors are in Irises?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft White (#E5E0DC, 51.5% of the canvas), Soft Blue (#6C8595, 20.2% of the canvas), Soft Green (#6EB089, 12% of the canvas), Deep Blue (#3D6998, 5.6% of the canvas), Ink Blue (#283955, 5.6% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#9B976C, 5% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 75% of the light that hits it (LRV 75), 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.