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

A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from the warm greens, browns and sandy tones of a late 1500s landscape painted on wood. It suits rooms that need a calm, earthy base, such as a living room, study or bedroom with a lot of natural wood and textiles.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #FAE0B1 on the walls and the warm sand #CBB996 on large surfaces or a main accent wall. Put the deep umber #423928 and dark bark #524833 in rugs, curtains, cushions or a single feature piece, and use the golden oak #9B845D for wood furniture and floors.

Artist: Kerstiaen de Keuninck
Date: ca. 1600
Movement: 16th-century Flemish painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 77

A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall by Kerstiaen de Keuninck — Kerstiaen de Keuninck, *A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall*, ca. 1600. 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 brown

#423928 · 26.5% · LRV 4

warm sand beige

#CBB996 · 24.6% · LRV 50

muted olive gray

#6B6E58 · 16.2% · LRV 15

dark bark brown

#524833 · 15.9% · LRV 7

golden oak tan

#9B845D · 13.1% · LRV 24

pale cream wall

#FAE0B1 · 3.8% · LRV 77

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.

A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where deep umber brown is strongest — deep umber brown

Detail of the painting where warm sand beige is strongest — warm sand beige

Detail of the painting where muted olive gray is strongest — muted olive gray

Detail of the painting where dark bark brown is strongest — dark bark brown

Detail of the painting where golden oak tan is strongest — golden oak tan

Detail of the painting where pale cream wall is strongest — pale cream wall

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 brown `#423928`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Similar Valspar 6010-3 Olive Suede Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	4	One bold piece
warm sand beige `#CBB996`	Behr MQ2-22 Hayloft Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9120 Tumblin' Tumbleweed Very close Valspar 3006-10A Prairie Dance Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Close	50	Bed, sofa, curtains
muted olive gray `#6B6E58`	Valspar 6001-4C Tarragon Near-identical Behr MQ6-53 Herb Cornucopia Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Close	15	Small accents, art, accessories
dark bark brown `#524833`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7055 Enduring Bronze Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Close	7	One small textile
golden oak tan `#9B845D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6138 Artifact Very close Behr 280F-5 New Chestnut Very close Valspar 3006-7A Olive Branch Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	24	Wood and frames
pale cream wall `#FAE0B1`	Valspar 3006-6B Shoreline Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6673 Banana Cream Very close Behr 330C-3 Clam Chowder Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Close	77	Main walls

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 cream wall 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#D8CBB2

In north light the cream #FAE0B1 with its LRV of 77 will look softer and slightly cooler. It still reflects light well, so it keeps a small room from feeling closed in.

South-facing room#FBE1B4

In strong south light the cream will look brighter and warmer, and the sand tone will read lighter. Check a large sample in the morning and afternoon before you commit, since the yellow undertones will show more.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CFB183

Under warm evening bulbs the yellow undertones in the cream and sand will deepen into a honey tone. The dark browns will feel richer and more enclosed, which suits a reading corner or dining room.

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 golden oak tan and the rug border takes dark bark brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

pale cream wall

warm sand beige

deep umber brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for A Mountainous Landscape with a Waterfall

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

North Facing Bathroom Paint Colors: Warm Tans for Cool Light North-facing · Bathroom

Green Paint Colors for Living Room Walls, Furniture and Textiles Green · Living room

More palettes like this

Susanna and the Elders Peter Paul Rubens

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the deep umber?

The deep umber #423928 has an LRV of 4, so it absorbs most of the light that hits it. It works best as an accent on one wall, a cabinet or a door, rather than across every surface of a small room.

Which color works best for trim and ceilings?

Use the pale cream #FAE0B1 on trim and ceilings so they stay lighter than the walls. This keeps the room feeling open and lets the warm sand on the walls read as a soft, consistent base.

How do I bring the green-gray tone into the room?

The muted olive gray #6B6E58 is a good choice for a single piece, such as a chair, a bookcase or a small cushion. Pair it with the golden oak and cream so the green stays subtle and does not compete with the warm 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.