20th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

Woman before an Aquarium Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Woman before an Aquarium by Henri Matisse, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Green on most walls, use Light Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Ochre to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Green works best in a single textile.

Artist: Henri Matisse
Date: 1921–23
Movement: 20th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 69

Woman before an Aquarium by Henri Matisse — Henri Matisse, *Woman before an Aquarium*, 1921–23. 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.

Deep Umber

#674A3A · 31.2% · LRV 8

Soft Blue

#678397 · 26.8% · LRV 21

Light Linen

#BEAFA5 · 16% · LRV 44

Warm Ochre

#B58762 · 15.1% · LRV 28

Deep Green

#5C6143 · 8.7% · LRV 11

Pale Green

#A2E8C0 · 2.3% · LRV 69

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.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Blue is strongest — Soft Blue

Detail of the painting where Light Linen is strongest — Light Linen

Detail of the painting where Warm Ochre is strongest — Warm Ochre

Detail of the painting where Deep Green is strongest — Deep Green

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

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 `#674A3A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6090 Java Very close Behr PPU3-19 Moroccan Henna Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	8	Wood and frames
Soft Blue `#678397`	Behr MQ5-60 South Pacific Very close Valspar 4008-6B Celebration Blue Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6522 Sporty Blue Close Farrow & Ball No. 237 Cook's Blue Similar	21	Small accents, art, accessories
Light Linen `#BEAFA5`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6037 Temperate Taupe Very close Behr 760B-4 Adobe Straw Very close Farrow & Ball No. 267 Dove Tale Very close Valspar 1001-10A Western Sandstone Close	44	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Ochre `#B58762`	Valspar 3002-7B Gleaming Tan Near-identical Behr 260F-5 Applesauce Cake Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6116 Tatami Tan Very close	28	One bold piece
Deep Green `#5C6143`	Behr 770D-6 Sandwashed Driftwood Very close Valspar 6010-5 Dark Meadow Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6180 Oakmoss Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Close	11	One small textile
Pale Green `#A2E8C0`	Behr M440-3 Baby Aqua Very close Valspar 6003-9B Mino's Eye Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9036 Retro Mint Similar	69	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 green 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#A0D1BB

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#B6E8C0

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#9DB68B

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 Umber and the rug border takes Deep Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Green

Light Linen

Warm Ochre

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Woman before an Aquarium

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

Beach Paint Colors for Living Room Coastal style

Hall Paint Color Combination Ideas from Five Paintings Hallway

More palettes like this

Charing Cross Bridge, London Claude Monet, 1901

Venice, Palazzo Dario Claude Monet, 1908

Vétheuil Claude Monet, 1901

FAQ

What colors are in Woman before an Aquarium?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#674A3A, 31.2% of the canvas), Soft Blue (#678397, 26.8% of the canvas), Light Linen (#BEAFA5, 16% of the canvas), Warm Ochre (#B58762, 15.1% of the canvas), Deep Green (#5C6143, 8.7% of the canvas), Pale Green (#A2E8C0, 2.3% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 69% of the light that hits it (LRV 69), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.