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

Retreat from the Storm Color Palette & Paint Colors

Millet's "Retreat from the Storm" is dark and earthy, with a small patch of pale light. It suits a snug room that is used in the evening.

Quick answer

Use #FFF4BD on the walls if the room needs light, #D9BD8A for main furniture and #89795A for wood. Keep the dark browns for textiles and one accent.

Artist: Jean-François Millet
Date: ca. 1846
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 90

Retreat from the Storm by Jean-François Millet — Jean-François Millet, *Retreat from the Storm*, ca. 1846. 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.

Charcoal Umber

#393832 · 48.4% · LRV 4

Soft Black

#2D2E29 · 31.4% · LRV 3

Dark Leather

#593F2F · 10.3% · LRV 6

Dusty Olive Gold

#89795A · 7.3% · LRV 20

Straw Gold

#D9BD8A · 1.9% · LRV 53

Pale Butter

#FFF4BD · 0.8% · LRV 90

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.

Retreat from the Storm reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Dusty Olive Gold is strongest — Dusty Olive Gold

Detail of the painting where Straw Gold is strongest — Straw Gold

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

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
Charcoal Umber `#393832`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Similar	4	One small textile
Soft Black `#2D2E29`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr S-H-790 Black Suede Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Leather `#593F2F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6090 Java Close Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	6	One bold piece
Dusty Olive Gold `#89795A`	Valspar 6008-4C Valencia Moss Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9124 Verde Marrón Close Behr PPU8-02 Gingko Tree Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	20	Wood and frames
Straw Gold `#D9BD8A`	Behr MQ2-18 Honey Tea Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6394 Sequin Very close Valspar 3007-5C Harpswell Green Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Close	53	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale Butter `#FFF4BD`	Behr 380A-2 Moonlit Yellow Near-identical Valspar 3008-2B Warm Summer Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 1667 Icy Lemonade Close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Similar	90	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 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#DCD8B9

In north light the pale #FFF4BD at LRV 90 reads as a soft cream. It helps a north room, which the dark colors would otherwise close in.

South-facing room#FFF1BD

In south light the walls look bright and warm, and the straw gold #D9BD8A becomes a gentle sand.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2BD8A

Under warm bulbs the very dark colors, at LRV 3 to 6, almost merge. Add contrast with the lighter gold.

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 Dusty Olive Gold and the rug border takes Charcoal Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Butter

Straw Gold

Dark Leather

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

House Paint Colors with a Red Roof: Four Schemes Terracotta tile roof

More palettes like this

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The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935) Berthe Morisot, ca. 1870

Diana Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña, 1849

FAQ

Is this palette too dark for a living room?

The painting is mostly dark, but the wall role is a light butter yellow with an LRV of 90, which balances the room.

Where should I use #593F2F?

It is a very dark warm brown with an LRV of 6, so it suits one wall, a cabinet or a curtain.

What gives light in this palette?

The pale #FFF4BD covers only 0.8% of the painting, but it is the lightest value and the best wall color.

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.