17th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette

Portrait of a Man Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Bartholomeus van der Helst's 1647 Portrait of a Man, held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is built on a light warm wall, terracotta and brown-red mid tones, and a near-black accent, so it suits rooms that want warmth and depth without much contrast in lightness.

Quick answer

Paint the walls in #DED5BF, the lightest color, so the room stays bright. Use #D49E80 for the main piece of furniture or a large fabric, and reserve #2E2820 for a door, trim, or one accent wall.

Artist: Bartholomeus van der Helst
Date: 1647
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 67

Portrait of a Man by Bartholomeus van der Helst — Bartholomeus van der Helst, *Portrait of a Man*, 1647. 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.

Ink Umber

#2E2820 · 89% · LRV 2

Pale Linen

#DED5BF · 3.6% · LRV 67

Deep Umber

#67513E · 2.4% · LRV 9

Warm Ochre

#A47B64 · 2.1% · LRV 23

Light Ochre

#D49E80 · 1.9% · LRV 40

Muted Linen

#757062 · 1.1% · LRV 16

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.

Portrait of a Man reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Muted Linen is strongest — Muted 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
Ink Umber `#2E2820`	Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6990 Caviar Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	One bold piece
Pale Linen `#DED5BF`	Farrow & Ball No. 3 Off-White Near-identical Valspar 6007-1B Milestone Very close Behr MQ3-17 Chartreuse Frost Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6155 Rice Grain Very close	67	Main walls
Deep Umber `#67513E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6104 Kaffee Near-identical Behr 250F-7 Melted Chocolate Near-identical Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	One small textile
Warm Ochre `#A47B64`	Valspar 2007-7B Rustic Oak Very close Behr S220-5 Nutshell Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6060 Moroccan Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 295 Sulking Room Pink Similar	23	Wood and frames
Light Ochre `#D49E80`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6346 Fame Orange Very close Valspar 2007-5C Peach Ice Cream Very close Behr PPU3-10 Nairobi Dusk Close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	40	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted Linen `#757062`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6173 Cocoon Very close Valspar 6007-2C Olive Sawdust Close Behr QE-38 Rooftop Garden Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	16	Small accents, art, accessories

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#C7C4BB

In north light, #DED5BF will look cooler and a little grayer than it does in the sample. Its warm yellow undertone may read flat, so test it on the actual wall before buying.

South-facing room#E5D9BF

In strong south light, #DED5BF brightens and its warm yellow undertone shows clearly. The terracotta tones next to it will look richer and more saturated.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C0AB8B

Under warm evening bulbs, #DED5BF takes on a soft, creamy glow. The orange and red-brown tones in #D49E80 and #A47B64 will deepen and look more golden.

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 Deep Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Linen

Light Ochre

Ink Umber

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 and Trim Color Combinations: Light and Dark Trim Exterior trim

More palettes like this

Petronella Elias (1648–1667) with a Basket of Fruit Ferdinand Bol, 1657

Kitchen Scene Peter Wtewael, 1620s

Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626) Frans Hals, 1626

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Use #DED5BF on the walls. It has an LRV of 67, which is light enough to bounce light around the room. Its warm yellow undertone keeps it from feeling cold.

Can I use the very dark color on a whole room?

It is safer as an accent. #2E2820 has an LRV of 2, so a full room in this color will feel very enclosed and will absorb most of the light. Try it on a door, window frame, or one wall.

How do I balance the mid tones with the light wall?

Use #D49E80 on larger pieces such as a sofa or rug, and use #67513E or #A47B64 for smaller items like cushions, wood furniture, or frames. Keep the lightest tone on the walls so the mid tones have room to sit.

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.