North-facing room
#DCD9A0In north light, the pale butter wall will look softer and a little cooler. It reads calmer here than in brighter rooms.
17th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette
Nuns at Work Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette comes from Alessandro Magnasco's oil painting "Nuns at Work" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from near-black browns through ochre and mustard gold to a pale butter yellow, all with a warm yellow undertone.
Quick answer
Use #FFF696 on the walls, with #DDA43B as the main supporting color on larger pieces. Bring in #A17524 through textiles, #684D18 through wood, and #36250F as a dark accent.
- Artist
- Alessandro Magnasco
- Movement
- 17th-century Italian painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 89
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.
Dark espresso brown
Deep bronze olive
Deep ochre brown
Burnished ochre gold
Warm mustard gold
Pale butter yellow
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Dark espresso brown#36250F |
|
2 | One bold piece |
Deep bronze olive#584315 |
|
6 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Deep ochre brown#684D18 |
|
8 | Wood and frames |
Burnished ochre gold#A17524 |
|
20 | One small textile |
Warm mustard gold#DDA43B |
|
42 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Pale butter yellow#FFF696 |
|
89 | 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 butter 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.
South-facing room
#FFF29FStrong south light brings out the butter tone clearly. At LRV 89, the wall will bounce a lot of light back into the room.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2BE73Under warm evening bulbs, the yellow undertone moves forward, so the wall looks creamier. The gold and ochre tones also deepen.
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.
Wood takes Deep ochre brown and the rug border takes Burnished ochre gold in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale butter yellow
Warm mustard gold
Dark espresso brown
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
Can I paint a whole room in the lightest color?
Yes. #FFF696 has an LRV of 89, so it reads light and bright. Balance it with the darker browns in furniture, trim or textiles so the room does not feel flat.
Where should the darkest color go?
Use #36250F for a small accent, such as a door, a shelf back or a cabinet. It covers most of the original canvas, so keep it to limited areas in a room.
Which colors work best for textiles?
Use #A17524 for textiles like cushions, throws or drapes. It sits between the wall and the dark accents, so it ties the room together.
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.