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

Portrait of a Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Hans Süss von Kulmbach's Portrait of a Young Man (reverse Girl Making a Garland), ca. 1508, held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and painted in oil on poplar. It is built on deep browns, warm tans and one soft yellow-cream, so it suits rooms that should feel warm, enclosed and quiet.

Quick answer

Use the soft wheat cream #E7BE92 on the walls and the walnut brown #664A3C on wood trim and furniture. Add the russet #5A4235 as a single accent, the terracotta tan #B38765 in textiles, and the pale stone #BAA997 as the main color for larger surfaces. Keep the near-black for small, deliberate touches.

Artist: Hans Süss von Kulmbach
Date: ca. 1508
Movement: 16th-century German painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 56

Portrait of a Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland by Hans Süss von Kulmbach — Hans Süss von Kulmbach, *Portrait of a Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland*, ca. 1508. 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 neutral black

#1A1613 · 57% · LRV 1

Deep russet brown

#5A4235 · 19.8% · LRV 6

Warm walnut brown

#664A3C · 11.2% · LRV 8

Soft wheat cream

#E7BE92 · 6.5% · LRV 56

Muted terracotta tan

#B38765 · 3.5% · LRV 28

Pale warm stone

#BAA997 · 2% · LRV 41

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 Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep neutral black is strongest — Deep neutral black

Detail of the painting where Deep russet brown is strongest — Deep russet brown

Detail of the painting where Warm walnut brown is strongest — Warm walnut brown

Detail of the painting where Soft wheat cream is strongest — Soft wheat cream

Detail of the painting where Muted terracotta tan is strongest — Muted terracotta tan

Detail of the painting where Pale warm stone is strongest — Pale warm stone

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 neutral black `#1A1613`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep russet brown `#5A4235`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2856 Fairfax Brown Very close Behr N190-7 Moose Trail Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	6	One bold piece
Warm walnut brown `#664A3C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2856 Fairfax Brown Very close Behr QE-16 Earth Chicory Very close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Very close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	8	Wood and frames
Soft wheat cream `#E7BE92`	Behr M250-3 Apple Turnover Near-identical Valspar 3002-6A Fragrant Coriander Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 44 Hubbard Squash Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Similar	56	Main walls
Muted terracotta tan `#B38765`	Valspar 3002-7B Gleaming Tan Near-identical Behr MQ2-2 Syrup Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7718 Oak Creek Very close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	28	One small textile
Pale warm stone `#BAA997`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9087 Smoky Beige Near-identical Valspar 2007-10A Timber Dust Near-identical Behr PPU5-14 Mesa Taupe Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Very close	41	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 wheat 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#CCB59D

In north light the wall color reads cooler and a little grayer. The yellow undertone softens, so the room feels calm rather than sunny.

South-facing room#ECC79C

In strong south light the wall color looks brighter and warmer. Its LRV of 56 keeps it from glaring, but the yellow shows more clearly in the afternoon.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C59E71

Under warm evening bulbs the wall shifts toward a peachy, honey tone. The browns deepen, so the room feels close and glowing.

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 brown and the rug border takes Muted terracotta tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft wheat cream

Pale warm stone

Deep russet brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Portrait of a Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland

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

More palettes like this

Saint John on Patmos Hans Baldung (called Hans Baldung Grien), ca. 1511

Lukas Spielhausen Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1532

Portrait of a Woman of the Slosgin Family of Cologne Barthel Bruyn the Younger, 1557

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest color?

The darkest color, #1A1613, has an LRV of 1 and takes up most of the original canvas. In a room it works best as a small anchor, such as a door, a built-in or a single piece of furniture. Painting every wall in it will make a space feel very closed in.

Will this palette work in a small room?

Yes, if you keep the wall color light. The soft wheat cream on the walls, with the browns limited to trim and furniture, keeps a small room from feeling heavy. Avoid using the two darkest browns on large surfaces.

How should I test these colors before buying paint?

Paint a large sample on two or three walls, not just a small chip. Look at it in the morning, at midday and under your evening lamps, because each light changes how these warm tones read.

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.