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

Christ with a Staff Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from Rembrandt's Christ with a Staff, an oil on canvas at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, measured directly from the image. It is mostly near-black with warm browns, and it has one mid-tone tan.

Quick answer

Use #5E5343 for the main large surface, #312C26 for textiles, #755333 for wood, and #4B2D22 for a single accent. Keep #13171A for the deepest shadows. The wall color #F2D2AE is not in the painting. It is a lighter version of the palest measured tone, #BE9E78, because the painting has no light tone to draw from.

Artist: Rembrandt
Movement: 17th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

Christ with a Staff by Rembrandt — Rembrandt, *Christ with a Staff*. 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.

Near-black ink

#13171A · 71.5% · LRV 1

Smoky warm charcoal

#312C26 · 18.3% · LRV 3

Dark russet brown

#4B2D22 · 5.1% · LRV 4

Soft camel tan

#BE9E78 · 2.4% · LRV 37

Deep burnt umber

#755333 · 1.5% · LRV 10

Deep warm taupe

#5E5343 · 1.2% · LRV 9

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.

Christ with a Staff reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Near-black ink is strongest — Near-black ink

Detail of the painting where Smoky warm charcoal is strongest — Smoky warm charcoal

Detail of the painting where Dark russet brown is strongest — Dark russet brown

Detail of the painting where Soft camel tan is strongest — Soft camel tan

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

Detail of the painting where Deep warm taupe is strongest — Deep warm taupe

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
Near-black ink `#13171A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 770F-7 Beluga Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Smoky warm charcoal `#312C26`	Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6990 Caviar Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	3	One small textile
Dark russet brown `#4B2D22`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9182 Rojo Marrón Very close Behr S-G-770 Wild Horse Close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar	4	One bold piece
Soft camel tan `#BE9E78`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7695 Mesa Tan Near-identical Behr MQ2-28 Modern History Very close Valspar 3004-7C Buckskin Pony Close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar	37	Main walls
Deep burnt umber `#755333`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9099 Saddle Up Very close Behr S240-7 Leather Work Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Deep warm taupe `#5E5343`	Behr QE-32 Treemoss Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6160 Best Bronze Very close Valspar 6009-2 Harvest Brown Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	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.

This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#F2D2AE).

How the lightest tone 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#D4C2B0

In north light, the wall color looks softer and a little cooler. It stays warm enough to feel like plaster, but it needs a brighter white trim to hold its edges.

South-facing room#F5D6B2

In strong south light, the wall color turns bright and creamy. Dark furniture and textiles from this palette will look richer against it, and the room will feel warmer.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CAAA81

Under warm evening bulbs, the wall color glows and moves toward gold. The dark browns and charcoals will look deep and cozy, which suits a dining room or a reading corner.

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 burnt umber and the rug border takes Smoky warm charcoal in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft camel tan

Deep warm taupe

Dark russet brown

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

Black Bathroom Paint: Three Shades and What to Pair With Them Black · Bathroom

More palettes like this

A State Yacht and Other Craft in Calm Water Jan van de Cappelle, ca. 1660

Admiral Jacob Binkes (born about 1640, died 1677) Nicolaes Maes

Portrait of a Man Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), ca. 1655–60

FAQ

Why is the wall color lighter than anything in the painting?

The painting has no light tone, so the wall color was made by lightening the palest measured color, #BE9E78. It is a planned wall tone, not a color taken from the source.

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest colors?

Painting a full room in #13171A or #312C26 makes the space feel enclosed. Use the darkest shades on one wall, a cabinet, or a door, and keep the main walls lighter.

What should I pair with these colors for a calm room?

Pair the dark browns with the warm wall color and natural wood. Use the accent #4B2D22 sparingly, such as on a single chair or a picture frame, so the room stays calm.

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.