16th-century painting · art-to-room palette

Saint Martin and the Beggar Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Saint Martin and the Beggar by Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco, 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 Soft Blue for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Ink Umber to one bold piece. Warm Olive suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Green works best in a single textile.

Artist: Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco
Date: c. 1597–c. 1600
Movement: 16th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 74

Saint Martin and the Beggar by Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco — Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco, *Saint Martin and the Beggar*, c. 1597–c. 1600. 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 Blue

#4A7283 · 33.6% · LRV 15

Shadow Umber

#4B3E34 · 23.3% · LRV 5

Ink Umber

#3F2F22 · 22.9% · LRV 3

Soft White

#E9DECF · 9.5% · LRV 74

Warm Olive

#8A7B49 · 6% · LRV 20

Deep Green

#3E4725 · 4.6% · LRV 6

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.

Saint Martin and the Beggar reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Blue `#4A7283`	Behr N480-6 Nypd Near-identical Valspar 5010-10 Photogenic Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9149 Inky Blue Close Farrow & Ball No. 299 De Nimes Similar	15	Bed, sofa, curtains
Shadow Umber `#4B3E34`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Very close Behr 760B-7 Revival Mahogany Close Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Ink Umber `#3F2F22`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Close Behr 760B-7 Revival Mahogany Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 1011-10 Brown Velvet Similar	3	One bold piece
Soft White `#E9DECF`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6140 Moderate White Near-identical Behr HDC-CT-05 Pale Palomino Near-identical Valspar 3001-8C Manila Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2008 Dimity Very close	74	Main walls
Warm Olive `#8A7B49`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6411 Bengal Grass Close Behr PPU9-02 Lucky Bamboo Close Valspar 6006-6C Olivita Close	20	Wood and frames
Deep Green `#3E4725`	Behr 760D-7 Moosewood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6181 Secret Garden Similar	6	One small textile

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#CDCAC5

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

South-facing room#EEE0CB

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)#C5B094

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 Olive and the rug border takes Deep Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft White

Soft Blue

Ink Umber

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Saint Martin and the Beggar

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

Blue and Grey Bedroom Color Schemes Blue · Bedroom

Blue and Green Bedroom Walls Blue · Bedroom

Gray and White Bedroom Walls: Shades and Accent Colors Grey · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Man Continental Painter

Christ Healing the Blind El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), ca. 1570

Portrait of a Man Corneille de Lyon, ca. 1540–50

FAQ

What colors are in Saint Martin and the Beggar?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Blue (#4A7283, 33.6% of the canvas), Shadow Umber (#4B3E34, 23.3% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#3F2F22, 22.9% of the canvas), Soft White (#E9DECF, 9.5% of the canvas), Warm Olive (#8A7B49, 6% of the canvas), Deep Green (#3E4725, 4.6% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 74% of the light that hits it (LRV 74), 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.