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

La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) 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 Pale Linen on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Green to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Date
1889
Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license
Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV
75
La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh, La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930), 1889. 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.

Deep Green
#334923 · 54.8% · LRV 6
Soft Green
#3F9964 · 17.1% · LRV 25
Deep Red
#9E382D · 10.1% · LRV 10
Warm Umber
#A3602F · 7% · LRV 16
Pale Linen
#EDDFC7 · 5.6% · LRV 75
Warm Yellow
#C29546 · 5.4% · LRV 33

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.

La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930) reduced to its palette colors
The same scene in 6 flat colors.
Detail of the painting where Deep Green is strongest
Deep Green
Detail of the painting where Soft Green is strongest
Soft Green
Detail of the painting where Deep Red is strongest
Deep Red
Detail of the painting where Warm Umber is strongest
Warm Umber
Detail of the painting where Pale Linen is strongest
Pale Linen
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
Deep Green
#334923
  • Behr 440F-7 Fresh Pine Close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6447 Evergreens Similar
6 One bold piece
Soft Green
#3F9964
  • Behr M430-6 Park Bench Very close
  • Valspar 6003-10C Cosmic Green Close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6987 Jitterbug Jade Close
25 Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Red
#9E382D
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 57 Chinese Red Very close
  • Behr S-H-210 New Penny Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar
  • Valspar 1009-2 Classic Red Similar
10 One small textile
Warm Umber
#A3602F
  • Behr 260D-7 Copper Mountain Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6356 Copper Mountain Close
  • Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar
16 Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Linen
#EDDFC7
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6126 Navajo White Near-identical
  • Valspar 7002-21 Cameo White Very close
  • Behr N280-2 Writers Parchment Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 1 Lime White Very close
75 Main walls
Warm Yellow
#C29546
  • Behr M280-6 Solid Gold Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6396 Different Gold Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close
  • Valspar 3007-5A Corduroy Close
33 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 pale 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#D0CABF

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

South-facing room#F1E1C5

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)#C8B190

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 Deep Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Linen
Warm Yellow
Deep Green
Linen
Oiled oak
Lime plaster
Aged brass
Palette card for La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)

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

More palettes like this

FAQ

What colors are in La Berceuse (Woman Rocking a Cradle; Augustine-Alix Pellicot Roulin, 1851–1930)?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Green (#334923, 54.8% of the canvas), Soft Green (#3F9964, 17.1% of the canvas), Deep Red (#9E382D, 10.1% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#A3602F, 7% of the canvas), Pale Linen (#EDDFC7, 5.6% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#C29546, 5.4% 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.