20th-century German painting · art-to-room palette

Landscape with Two Poplars Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Landscape with Two Poplars by Vasily Kandinsky, 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 Yellow on most walls, use Soft Green for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Red to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: Vasily Kandinsky
Date: 1912
Movement: 20th-century German painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 67

Landscape with Two Poplars by Vasily Kandinsky — Vasily Kandinsky, *Landscape with Two Poplars*, 1912. 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 Green

#57816A · 37.1% · LRV 19

Deep Blue

#323D58 · 15.4% · LRV 5

Deep Umber

#825842 · 13.8% · LRV 12

Warm Red

#B45251 · 12.7% · LRV 16

Pale Yellow

#EBD2AF · 10.8% · LRV 67

Light Yellow

#F8CC6E · 10.2% · LRV 64

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.

Landscape with Two Poplars reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Light Yellow is strongest — Light 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
Soft Green `#57816A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6459 Jadite Very close Behr S430-6 Forest Edge Close Valspar 5004-6B Moonlit Surf Similar Farrow & Ball No. 34 Calke Green Similar	19	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Blue `#323D58`	Behr N560-7 Limo-scene Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6545 Majestic Purple Close Valspar 4011-3 Blue Coal Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber `#825842`	Behr 240F-6 Sable Brown Very close Valspar 2006-7A Chocolate Sauce Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	12	Wood and frames
Warm Red `#B45251`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6600 Enticing Red Very close Valspar 2002-3A Brick Facade Very close Behr UL110-8 Carmine Red Very close Farrow & Ball No. 212 Blazer Close	16	One bold piece
Pale Yellow `#EBD2AF`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7722 Travertine Very close Behr 300E-2 Calm Air Very close Valspar 3002-6C French Pastry Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Close	67	Main walls
Light Yellow `#F8CC6E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9019 Golden Plumeria Near-identical Valspar 3001-2A Soft Duckling Very close Behr 350D-4 Wild Bamboo Very close Farrow & Ball No. 223 Babouche Close	64	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 pale yellow 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#CFC2B1

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

South-facing room#EFD6B3

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)#C7AA81

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 Deep Umber and the rug border takes Light Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Soft Green

Warm Red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Landscape with Two Poplars

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

Cool House Color Schemes: 4 Exterior Palettes House exterior · Cool

Classic House Color Combinations: Four Exterior Schemes House exterior · Traditional

More palettes like this

Painting with Green Center Vasily Kandinsky, 1913

FAQ

What colors are in Landscape with Two Poplars?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Green (#57816A, 37.1% of the canvas), Deep Blue (#323D58, 15.4% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#825842, 13.8% of the canvas), Warm Red (#B45251, 12.7% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#EBD2AF, 10.8% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#F8CC6E, 10.2% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 67% of the light that hits it (LRV 67), 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.