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

The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Hodler's "The Dream of the Shepherd" has soft pinks and a cool blue, with teal and a clay red. It suits a gentle bedroom or living room.

Quick answer

Use #D1C0B5 on the walls, #D4BBAA for main furniture and #458E7F as the accent. Use #B4665A in textiles.

Artist: Ferdinand Hodler
Date: 1896
Movement: 19th-century Swiss painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 55

The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten) by Ferdinand Hodler — Ferdinand Hodler, *The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten)*, 1896. 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 Blush Beige

#D1C0B5 · 45.1% · LRV 55

Pale Rose Sand

#D4BBAA · 18.9% · LRV 52

Dusty Blue

#8999AC · 16.1% · LRV 31

Teal Green

#458E7F · 13.6% · LRV 22

Clay Rose

#B4665A · 5.1% · LRV 20

Fern Green

#7A9B67 · 1.3% · LRV 29

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 Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft Blush Beige is strongest — Soft Blush Beige

Detail of the painting where Pale Rose Sand is strongest — Pale Rose Sand

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

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

Detail of the painting where Clay Rose is strongest — Clay Rose

Detail of the painting where Fern Green is strongest — Fern 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 Blush Beige `#D1C0B5`	Valspar 2005-10B Dust Bunny Very close Behr MQ3-38 Suede Beige Very close Farrow & Ball No. 229 Elephant's Breath Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6065 Bona Fide Beige Very close	55	Main walls
Pale Rose Sand `#D4BBAA`	Sherwin-Williams SW 56 Classic Sand Near-identical Behr MQ2-36 Elusive Dawn Near-identical Valspar 2006-8A Estate Peach Very close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Very close	52	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dusty Blue `#8999AC`	Valspar 4005-3C Blissful Blue Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9072 Dried Lavender Very close Behr PPU15-10 China Silk Very close Farrow & Ball No. 237 Cook's Blue Similar	31	Small accents, art, accessories
Teal Green `#458E7F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6761 Thermal Spring Very close Valspar 5004-6A Spa Green Close Behr N430-5 Aspen Valley Close	22	One bold piece
Clay Rose `#B4665A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6326 Henna Shade Near-identical Behr QE-04 Chimayo Red Very close Valspar 2002-5B Kitchen Tile Red Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	20	One small textile
Fern Green `#7A9B67`	Behr MQ4-47 Parakeet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6725 Pickle Close Valspar 5008-6B Spring Leaves Close Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Similar	29	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 blush beige 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#BEB7B4

In north light the blush #D1C0B5 at LRV 55 stays warm, and the blue #8999AC looks cooler.

South-facing room#DBC8B7

In strong south light the teal #458E7F looks fresh, and the walls look pale and soft.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#B89F85

Under warm evening bulbs the blush turns peachy and the blue-gray turns softer.

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 Clay Rose in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Blush Beige

Pale Rose Sand

Teal Green

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten)

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

Farmhouse Kitchen Color Palette from Six Paintings Farmhouse style

Neutral Exterior Paint Color Schemes for Four House Styles House exterior · Neutral

More palettes like this

The Red Room, Etretat Félix Edouard Vallotton, 1899

FAQ

What is the wall color?

The soft blush beige #D1C0B5, with an LRV of 55.

Does the teal suit a small accent?

Yes. It has an LRV of 22 and covers 13.6% of the painting, so it works as a door or chair.

Which color is the textile?

The clay rose #B4665A, with an LRV of 20.

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.