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

The Musician Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Bartholomeus van der Helst's The Musician, 1662. It is mostly deep brown, with a cream and a rust that make it suit a cozy study or dining room.

Quick answer

Use the cream #F6DEB9 on the walls, the gold-brown #B78F54 for main pieces, #735029 for wood, rust #9D4523 for textiles and #271D12 for accents.

Artist: Bartholomeus van der Helst
Date: 1662
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 75

The Musician by Bartholomeus van der Helst — Bartholomeus van der Helst, *The Musician*, 1662. 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 Umber Black

#271D12 · 60.4% · LRV 1

Warm Walnut

#735029 · 26.7% · LRV 10

Antique Brass

#B78F54 · 6.2% · LRV 30

Soft Cream

#F6DEB9 · 3.8% · LRV 75

Burnt Rust

#9D4523 · 1.6% · LRV 12

Terracotta Brown

#A2603A · 1.2% · 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.

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Antique Brass is strongest — Antique Brass

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

Detail of the painting where Burnt Rust is strongest — Burnt Rust

Detail of the painting where Terracotta Brown is strongest — Terracotta Brown

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 Umber Black `#271D12`	Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Similar	1	One bold piece
Warm Walnut `#735029`	Behr 260F-7 Caramel Latte Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	10	Wood and frames
Antique Brass `#B78F54`	Behr MQ4-7 Radiance Very close Valspar 3010-4 Mixed Potpourri Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6396 Different Gold Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	30	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft Cream `#F6DEB9`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6379 Jersey Cream Near-identical Behr YL-W1 Spinning Silk Very close Valspar 2008-4C Almond Whip Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close	75	Main walls
Burnt Rust `#9D4523`	Behr S-H-220 Summer Heat Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6342 Spicy Hue Close Valspar 2009-6 Autumn Russet Similar Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	12	One small textile
Terracotta Brown `#A2603A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6356 Copper Mountain Very close Behr 260D-7 Copper Mountain Very close Valspar 3010-6 Cinnamon Cake Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red 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 soft cream 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#D5CAB6

In north light the cream #F6DEB9 at LRV 75 stays warm and bright, and it keeps the browns from feeling heavy.

South-facing room#F8E0BA

In strong south light the cream can look pale and yellowish, and the brass #B78F54 looks lighter and livelier.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CDB087

Under warm evening bulbs the rust #9D4523 and terracotta brown glow, and the cream turns a deeper gold.

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 Walnut and the rug border takes Burnt Rust in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Cream

Antique Brass

Deep Umber Black

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

Black Accent Wall in a Living Room: Colors That Work Black · Living room

More palettes like this

The Music Lesson Gerard ter Borch the Younger, c. 1670

Portrait of a Man Johannes Verspronck, 1645

A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water Jan van de Cappelle, ca. 1660

FAQ

Is this palette too dark for a living room?

Over half the painting is near-black brown with an LRV of 1 and 10. Keep walls cream and use the dark colors in furniture, wood and accents.

What color should the accent be?

The rust #9D4523 at LRV 12 is the most colorful accent. Use it for a cushion, a rug or a door.

What trim goes with these colors?

A warm white or the cream itself. A bright white would look cold beside the browns.

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.