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

Portrait of a Woman Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Quinten Massys's "Portrait of a Woman" (ca. 1520, The Metropolitan Museum of Art), an oil on wood. It moves from near-black through warm browns and clay tones to a pale straw cream, so it suits rooms that want warmth without heavy color.

Quick answer

Use the pale straw cream on the walls and the terracotta clay for a main piece such as a sofa, rug, or feature wall. Keep the russet brown for wood and frames, the near-black for small dark details, and the ochre and honey tones for accents and textiles.

Artist: Quinten Massys
Date: ca. 1520
Movement: 16th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 63

Portrait of a Woman by Quinten Massys — Quinten Massys, *Portrait of a Woman*, ca. 1520. 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.

Near-black charcoal

#1C1818 · 47.7% · LRV 1

Deep russet brown

#82562C · 23.9% · LRV 12

Warm terracotta clay

#BE8F69 · 16% · LRV 32

Pale straw cream

#E3CDA2 · 8% · LRV 63

Burnished ochre bronze

#A87E43 · 3.2% · LRV 24

Golden honey tan

#C79A4B · 1.3% · LRV 36

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 Woman reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Near-black charcoal is strongest — Near-black charcoal

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

Detail of the painting where Warm terracotta clay is strongest — Warm terracotta clay

Detail of the painting where Pale straw cream is strongest — Pale straw cream

Detail of the painting where Burnished ochre bronze is strongest — Burnished ochre bronze

Detail of the painting where Golden honey tan is strongest — Golden honey tan

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
Near-black charcoal `#1C1818`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep russet brown `#82562C`	Behr 260F-7 Caramel Latte Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Valspar 2008-7A Natural Cork Similar	12	Wood and frames
Warm terracotta clay `#BE8F69`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6116 Tatami Tan Very close Behr HDC-CL-15 Burnished Caramel Very close Valspar 3002-7B Gleaming Tan Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	32	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale straw cream `#E3CDA2`	Valspar 3006-8B Light Amber Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6400 Lucent Yellow Near-identical Behr 320E-3 Riviera Sand Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Very close	63	Main walls
Burnished ochre bronze `#A87E43`	Behr S290-6 Golden Rice Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6397 Nankeen Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Close	24	One bold piece
Golden honey tan `#C79A4B`	Behr M280-6 Solid Gold Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6395 Alchemy Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Very close Valspar 3006-5A Bugle Call Close	36	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 straw 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#C9BFA7

In north light the straw cream wall (LRV 63) stays light and bright, though it can read a little cooler and greyer. Warm bulbs or warm-toned furnishings will help offset that.

South-facing room#E9D3A8

Strong south light brings out the yellow in the straw cream wall and can make it look quite warm. Terracotta and russet pieces will look richer in this light.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C2A67A

Under warm evening bulbs the palette glows. The straw cream wall looks golden, and the clay and ochre tones deepen into a cozy, amber range.

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 russet brown and the rug border takes Golden honey tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale straw cream

Warm terracotta clay

Burnished ochre bronze

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

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

Dark Paint Colors for Rooms, Measured From Paintings Dark

More palettes like this

The Last Judgment Joos van Cleve, ca. 1525–30

Christ Healing the Blind El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), ca. 1570

Portrait of an Artist or Scholar Mughal, 17th century

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

The pale straw cream, #E3CDA2, is the wall color. It has an LRV of 63, so it reads light and reflects light well. It works well as a backdrop for the darker colors in the scheme.

Can I use the near-black in a room?

Use it in small amounts, such as a door, a window frame, or a thin line of trim. Its LRV is 1, so large areas will feel very heavy. It has no clear undertone, so it pairs easily with both the browns and the clay.

How do I combine the warm browns and clay tones without making the room feel too dark?

Balance the darker russet and bronze with the pale straw wall. Keep the terracotta clay for one main piece, and add the honey and ochre tones through textiles or small objects. This keeps the room warm and open.

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.