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

Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Édouard Manet's painting of a beggar in a duffle coat is mostly very dark brown, with a few small touches of pale peach and slate blue. This palette suits a moody study or library with lots of dark wood.

Quick answer

Use the pale peach #F5CBAD on the walls to keep the room open. Bring in #455C65 for a chair or curtains and keep the near-black browns for furniture and shelving.

Artist: Édouard Manet
Date: 1865–67
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher) by Édouard Manet — Édouard Manet, *Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher)*, 1865–67. 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.

Espresso Black

#201912 · 70.1% · LRV 1

Dark Umber

#382E1B · 13.7% · LRV 3

Bark Brown

#4C3D20 · 8.8% · LRV 5

Charcoal Slate

#3A4042 · 4.1% · LRV 5

Pale Peach

#F5CBAD · 2.1% · LRV 65

Deep Harbor Blue

#455C65 · 1.2% · LRV 10

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.

Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Espresso Black is strongest — Espresso Black

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

Detail of the painting where Bark Brown is strongest — Bark Brown

Detail of the painting where Charcoal Slate is strongest — Charcoal Slate

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

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

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
Espresso Black `#201912`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	One bold piece
Dark Umber `#382E1B`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar	3	One small textile
Bark Brown `#4C3D20`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Similar Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar	5	Wood and frames
Charcoal Slate `#3A4042`	Behr N530-7 Private Black Very close Valspar 5011-1 Nocturnal Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6994 Greenblack Close Farrow & Ball No. 57 Off-Black Close	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Peach `#F5CBAD`	Valspar 2004-2B Simply Peach Very close Behr 280A-3 Delicious Melon Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6639 Avid Apricot Close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Similar	65	Main walls
Deep Harbor Blue `#455C65`	Behr PPU13-19 Observatory Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6229 Tempe Star Close Valspar 5001-6C Perfect Storm Close Farrow & Ball No. 30 Hague Blue Similar	10	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 pale peach 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#D5BEAF

North light is cool, so #F5CBAD helps by adding warmth. With an LRV of 65 it still lifts the room.

South-facing room#F7D1B1

In strong south light the peach reads soft and slightly pink. It is a gentle wall color that will not turn yellow.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CCA581

Under warm evening bulbs the dark browns merge into a cozy, low-contrast backdrop. #455C65 stays visible and keeps the scheme from looking flat.

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 Bark Brown and the rug border takes Dark Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Peach

Deep Harbor Blue

Espresso Black

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Beggar with a Duffle Coat (Philosopher)

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

At the Milliner's Edgar Degas, 1881

Springtime Théodore Rousseau, c. 1860

In the Sun Charles-Edouard de Beaumont, 1875

FAQ

Can I paint a room with the dark colors in this palette?

You can, but #201912 has an LRV of 1 and absorbs almost all light. It works in a small library or study with lamps, and less well in a room with one window.

What is the best wall color here?

#F5CBAD is the lightest color, with an LRV of 65. It has a warm red-orange undertone that flatters wood and skin tones.

How much blue should I add?

A little goes a long way. In the painting #455C65 covers about one percent, so one chair, a throw or a pair of curtains is enough.

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.