17th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

The Abduction of the Sabine Women Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from browns, a warm cream, a terracotta red, and one soft blue, all taken from Nicolas Poussin's oil painting The Abduction of the Sabine Women, probably 1633–34, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It suits rooms that need warmth and depth, such as a study, dining room, or library.

Quick answer

Use the cream on the walls and the walnut brown on wood trim and furniture. Add the deep brown as an accent, the terracotta on textiles, and the soft blue as the main color on one large piece.

Artist: Nicolas Poussin
Date: probably 1633–34
Movement: 17th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

The Abduction of the Sabine Women by Nicolas Poussin — Nicolas Poussin, *The Abduction of the Sabine Women*, probably 1633–34. 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.

Deep Warm Brown

#624A39 · 38% · LRV 8

Warm Mid Taupe

#8C7560 · 33.2% · LRV 19

Dark Walnut Brown

#6C4631 · 12.2% · LRV 8

Soft Warm Cream

#E7D0B0 · 7.1% · LRV 65

Muted Terracotta Red

#B76A56 · 4.9% · LRV 21

Soft Cornflower Blue

#6794C0 · 4.6% · LRV 28

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.

The Abduction of the Sabine Women reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep Warm Brown is strongest — Deep Warm Brown

Detail of the painting where Warm Mid Taupe is strongest — Warm Mid Taupe

Detail of the painting where Dark Walnut Brown is strongest — Dark Walnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Soft Warm Cream is strongest — Soft Warm Cream

Detail of the painting where Muted Terracotta Red is strongest — Muted Terracotta Red

Detail of the painting where Soft Cornflower Blue is strongest — Soft Cornflower 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
Deep Warm Brown `#624A39`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9091 Half‐Caff Very close Behr N190-7 Moose Trail Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	8	One bold piece
Warm Mid Taupe `#8C7560`	Behr BXC-73 True Walnut Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6081 Down Home Very close Valspar 3002-9B Mocha Syrup Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	19	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Walnut Brown `#6C4631`	Behr BXC-42 Bricktone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6090 Java Close Valspar 2011-6 Cowboy Suede Similar	8	Wood and frames
Soft Warm Cream `#E7D0B0`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6127 Ivoire Very close Behr S290-2 White Bean Hummus Very close Valspar 3002-8B Bread Basket Very close Farrow & Ball No. 8 String Close	65	Main walls
Muted Terracotta Red `#B76A56`	Behr HDC-FL13-3 Warm Cider Very close Valspar 2009-5 Fall Leaf Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7701 Cavern Clay Close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Similar	21	One small textile
Soft Cornflower Blue `#6794C0`	Valspar 4006-10B Someday Very close Behr 590F-5 Magic Spell Very close Farrow & Ball No. 237 Cook's Blue Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6809 Lobelia Very close	28	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 soft warm 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#CCC1B1

In north light, the cream wall reads cooler and a little grayer. It stays calm and even, and it keeps the room from feeling dark.

South-facing room#ECD5B3

In strong south light, the cream wall looks brighter and its yellow warmth shows more. Its light reflectance value of 65 means it bounces a good amount of light back into the room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5A882

Under warm evening bulbs, the cream wall turns softer and more golden. The browns and terracotta look richer, so the room feels cozy.

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 Dark Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Muted Terracotta Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Warm Cream

Soft Cornflower Blue

Deep Warm Brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Abduction of the Sabine Women

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

Rust Color Paint: Terracotta Shades for Interior Walls Terracotta

More palettes like this

The Sacrifice of Polyxena Charles Le Brun, 1647

Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun Nicolas Poussin, 1658

Lute Player Valentin de Boulogne, ca. 1625–26

FAQ

Can I use all six colors in one room?

You can, but keep one color dominant. The cream walls and the walnut wood tones should carry most of the room, with the blue and terracotta used in smaller amounts.

Which color should I test first?

Start with the cream on a wall, since it sets the light for the whole room. Look at it in morning and evening light before you commit to the rest of the scheme.

Will these deep browns make a small room feel dark?

They can. The deep brown and walnut have light reflectance values of 8, so they absorb most light. Keep them on trim, furniture, or one accent wall, and let the cream of 65 cover the 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.