North-facing room
#C6C4B5Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.
17th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette
Portrait of a Man Color Palette & Paint Colors
Six colors measured from Portrait of a Man by Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn), 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 Linen on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Olive to one bold piece. Warm Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Ink Umber works best in a single textile.
- Date
- ca. 1655–60
- Movement
- 17th-century Dutch painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 66
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.
Soft Black
Ink Umber
Deep Olive
Light Linen
Warm Yellow
Warm Umber
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Soft Black#141413 |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Ink Umber#3E3221 |
|
3 | One small textile |
Deep Olive#594B2F |
|
7 | One bold piece |
Light Linen#DDD4B7 |
|
66 | Main walls |
Warm Yellow#BA8F6A |
|
31 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Warm Umber#876443 |
|
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 light linen 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.
South-facing room
#E4D8B9Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#BFAB86Under 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.
Wood takes Warm Umber and the rug border takes Ink Umber in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Light Linen
Warm Yellow
Deep Olive
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
What colors are in Portrait of a Man?
Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#141413, 66% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#3E3221, 18.2% of the canvas), Deep Olive (#594B2F, 11.5% of the canvas), Light Linen (#DDD4B7, 2.5% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#BA8F6A, 1.1% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#876443, 0.8% of the canvas).
Does this palette work in a small room?
Yes. The wall color reflects about 66% of the light that hits it (LRV 66), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.
Can I use this image on my own mood board?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.
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.
