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

Man in Armour Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Man in Armour by Antonio Puga, 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 Light Yellow on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Umber to one bold piece. Soft Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Dusky Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Antonio Puga
Date: 17th century
Movement: 17th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 57

Man in Armour by Antonio Puga — Antonio Puga, *Man in Armour*, 17th century. 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

#4E4234 · 47.8% · LRV 6

Ink Umber

#393026 · 24.2% · LRV 3

Soft Umber

#806244 · 15.8% · LRV 14

Warm Yellow

#A67F55 · 6.9% · LRV 24

Dusky Umber

#5E593C · 3.2% · LRV 10

Light Yellow

#EAC097 · 2.2% · LRV 57

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.

Man in Armour 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 Ink Umber is strongest — Ink Umber

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

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

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

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

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 `#4E4234`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Close Behr N230-7 Rustic Tobacco Close Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	6	One bold piece
Ink Umber `#393026`	Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Umber `#806244`	Behr MQ2-10 Burnt Caramel Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6103 Tea Chest Close Valspar 3004-9A Muddy Mississippi Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	14	Wood and frames
Warm Yellow `#A67F55`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2814 Rookwood Antique Gold Very close Behr S260-6 Circus Peanut Very close Valspar 3003-7B Leather Satchel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	24	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dusky Umber `#5E593C`	Behr BNC-35 Ground Pepper Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Close Valspar 6010-4 Amazon Silt Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	10	One small textile
Light Yellow `#EAC097`	Behr M250-3 Apple Turnover Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6359 Sociable Very close Valspar 3002-6A Fragrant Coriander Very close Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground Similar	57	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 light yellow 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#CEB7A1

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

South-facing room#EFC8A0

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)#C69F74

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 Soft Umber and the rug border takes Dusky Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Yellow

Warm Yellow

Deep Umber

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

Earth Tone Paint Colors Earthy

More palettes like this

Kitchen Scene Diego Velázquez, 1618–20

Portrait of Philip IV Workshop of Diego Rodriguez de Velázquez, c. 1632

The Young Virgin Francisco de Zurbarán, ca. 1632–33

FAQ

What colors are in Man in Armour?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#4E4234, 47.8% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#393026, 24.2% of the canvas), Soft Umber (#806244, 15.8% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#A67F55, 6.9% of the canvas), Dusky Umber (#5E593C, 3.2% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#EAC097, 2.2% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Use it with care. The lightest wall color in this painting has an LRV of about 57, so in a small room pair it with plenty of daylight or a lighter white on the ceiling.

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.