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

A Mexican Vaquero Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from Frederic Remington's painting of a Mexican vaquero. A cool, nearly neutral light color sits beside warm sand and rusty browns, which makes a clear scheme for a bedroom or den.

Quick answer

Use the very light #DAE4E4 on the walls and #D5BD9A for the sofa or bedding. Add #763F25 in wood or leather and keep #AC4C28 for a small accent.

Artist: Frederic Remington
Date: 1890
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

A Mexican Vaquero by Frederic Remington — Frederic Remington, *A Mexican Vaquero*, 1890. 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.

Cool Chalk

#DAE4E4 · 40% · LRV 76

Light Sand

#D5BD9A · 32.3% · LRV 53

Dusty Khaki

#AE9874 · 16.1% · LRV 33

Saddle Brown

#763F25 · 8.9% · LRV 8

Burnished Amber

#B27C42 · 2% · LRV 24

Clay Red

#AC4C28 · 0.7% · LRV 14

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.

A Mexican Vaquero reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Cool Chalk is strongest — Cool Chalk

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

Detail of the painting where Dusty Khaki is strongest — Dusty Khaki

Detail of the painting where Saddle Brown is strongest — Saddle Brown

Detail of the painting where Burnished Amber is strongest — Burnished Amber

Detail of the painting where Clay Red is strongest — Clay Red

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
Cool Chalk `#DAE4E4`	Valspar 7004-12 Sweet Slumber Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6504 Sky High Near-identical Behr N530-1 Pixel White Very close Farrow & Ball No. 235 Borrowed Light Close	76	Main walls
Light Sand `#D5BD9A`	Behr UL160-7 Pale Wheat Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7689 Row House Tan Very close Valspar 3002-10A Warm Buff Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Close	53	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dusty Khaki `#AE9874`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6137 Burlap Near-identical Behr 280F-4 Burnt Almond Very close Valspar 3006-7B Caramel Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar	33	Small accents, art, accessories
Saddle Brown `#763F25`	Behr 230F-7 Florence Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2839 Roycroft Copper Red Similar Valspar 2011-6 Cowboy Suede Similar	8	One bold piece
Burnished Amber `#B27C42`	Behr S250-5 Roasted Cashew Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6377 Butterscotch Very close Valspar 3011-4 Wet Riverbanks Very close	24	Small accents, art, accessories
Clay Red `#AC4C28`	Behr 250D-7 Caramelized Orange Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6622 Hearty Orange Close Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Similar Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	14	One small textile

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 cool chalk 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#C4CED3

In north light, #DAE4E4 can lean cool and slightly gray. Pair it with the sandy #D5BD9A in textiles so the room does not feel chilly.

South-facing room#E2E4DC

Bright south light suits #DAE4E4 well. Its LRV of 76 reflects a lot of light, so it works best in rooms where you want a crisp, airy feel.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BDB4A0

Under warm bulbs the cool wall color softens and the browns glow. #763F25 and #B27C42 look richest at night.

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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Clay Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Cool Chalk

Light Sand

Saddle 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

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FAQ

Is the wall color warm or cool?

#DAE4E4 is very light with no clear undertone, so it reads as a cool, quiet neutral. The warmth in this palette comes from the sand and brown colors around it.

Where should I use the rust red?

Use #AC4C28 sparingly, on a pillow, a rug border or a small chair. It covers less than one percent of the painting, which is a good guide for how little you need.

Can I paint the walls #D5BD9A instead?

Yes. With an LRV of 53 it gives a warmer, cozier room, but it will look darker than the light option. Test it on a large sample first.

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.