18th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Ancient Rome Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is measured from Ancient Rome, an oil on canvas by Giovanni Paolo Panini, dated 1757, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is a warm, earthy scheme of stone, tan, khaki and brown that suits living rooms, dining rooms and studies.

Quick answer

Use the pale warm stone #D0C5A3 on the walls. Add the mid taupe as an accent on one feature wall or cabinetry, the deep olive khaki on curtains or upholstery, the golden ochre on a large piece of furniture, and the burnt sienna on wood floors, frames or trim.

Artist: Giovanni Paolo Panini
Date: 1757
Movement: 18th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 56

Ancient Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini — Giovanni Paolo Panini, *Ancient Rome*, 1757. 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.

Warm mid taupe

#A5936D · 31.5% · LRV 30

Deep umber brown

#6A5A3E · 24.9% · LRV 11

Deep olive khaki

#796A47 · 23.6% · LRV 15

Pale warm stone

#D0C5A3 · 15.6% · LRV 56

Golden ochre tan

#C8AB70 · 2.7% · LRV 43

Burnt sienna brown

#925E3F · 1.7% · LRV 15

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Warm mid taupe is strongest — Warm mid taupe

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

Detail of the painting where Deep olive khaki is strongest — Deep olive khaki

Detail of the painting where Pale warm stone is strongest — Pale warm stone

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

Detail of the painting where Burnt sienna brown is strongest — Burnt sienna brown

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
Warm mid taupe `#A5936D`	Valspar 6008-4B Caraway Shield Very close Behr 290F-4 Cliff Rock Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2842 Roycroft Suede Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	30	One bold piece
Deep umber brown `#6A5A3E`	Behr PPU7-01 Moss Stone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Very close Valspar 6008-2C Prairie Foliage Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	11	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep olive khaki `#796A47`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6412 Eminent Bronze Very close Behr PPU8-01 Olive Very close Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	15	One small textile
Pale warm stone `#D0C5A3`	Behr BXC-80 Wildwood Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7732 Lemongrass Very close Valspar 6008-3C Epic Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Close	56	Main walls
Golden ochre tan `#C8AB70`	Behr S300-4 Flax Straw Near-identical Valspar 3007-5B Earthen Sienna Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6402 Antiquity Close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	43	Bed, sofa, curtains
Burnt sienna brown `#925E3F`	Behr S230-7 Toasted Bagel Very close Valspar 3011-6 Toffee Glaze Close Sherwin-Williams SW 45 Antiquarian Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	15	Wood and frames

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 warm stone 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#BEBAA8

In north light the wall color #D0C5A3 looks cooler and slightly greyer. Its yellow undertone softens, so the room stays calm and neutral.

South-facing room#DACCA9

In strong south light the wall color #D0C5A3 looks warm and bright, and its yellow undertone shows more. Its LRV of 56 means it reflects a good amount of light, but it reads a little deeper than a white.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#B7A27B

Under warm evening bulbs the wall color #D0C5A3 glows and looks more golden. The deeper colors, especially #6A5A3E and #796A47, look richer and more brown.

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 Burnt sienna brown and the rug border takes Deep olive khaki in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale warm stone

Golden ochre tan

Warm mid taupe

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

Pastel Color Bedroom: Soft Shades and What to Pair Them With Pastel · Bedroom

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FAQ

Can I paint all four walls in the pale warm stone?

You can, but the room will feel more even and less layered. Many rooms look fuller when one wall takes the mid taupe #A5936D and the rest use #D0C5A3.

Which wood tone works with this palette?

The burnt sienna #925E3F is the wood color in this palette, with an LRV of 14. It suits wood floors, frames, and furniture that already has a warm red-orange tone.

Will the deep colors make a small room feel closed in?

They can. Keep the deepest colors, #6A5A3E and #796A47, to textiles, rugs or a single piece of furniture, and use the lighter stone and ochre on larger surfaces.

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.