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

Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from Briton Riviere's Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs, a warm range of golds, ambers and one deep brown. It suits living rooms, studies and dining rooms that get warm light.

Quick answer

Use the pale gold #FBE0A4 on the walls, the deep brown #6D4A27 for wood, the amber tones #BC9251 and #A97F46 for accents and textiles, and #DDBA7A for the main furniture.

Artist: Briton Riviere
Date: 1876
Movement: 19th-century British painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 77

Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs by Briton Riviere — Briton Riviere, *Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs*, 1876. 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.

Pale Honey Gold

#FBE0A4 · 39.4% · LRV 77

Deep Walnut Brown

#6D4A27 · 20.1% · LRV 8

Soft Sand Ochre

#B59B6D · 12.3% · LRV 34

Amber Gold

#BC9251 · 10.8% · LRV 32

Burnt Caramel

#A97F46 · 10.3% · LRV 24

Warm Wheat

#DDBA7A · 7.1% · LRV 52

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.

Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Pale Honey Gold is strongest — Pale Honey Gold

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Sand Ochre is strongest — Soft Sand Ochre

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

Detail of the painting where Burnt Caramel is strongest — Burnt Caramel

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

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
Pale Honey Gold `#FBE0A4`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6896 Solé Near-identical Valspar 3002-2B Peach Tickle Very close Behr P260-3 Vanilla Ice Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Close	77	Main walls
Deep Walnut Brown `#6D4A27`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Very close Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	8	Wood and frames
Soft Sand Ochre `#B59B6D`	Valspar 3007-7B Bedouin Trail Near-identical Behr N280-5 Antique Treasure Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7699 Rustic City Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	34	Small accents, art, accessories
Amber Gold `#BC9251`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6396 Different Gold Very close Behr S290-5 Amber Autumn Very close Valspar 3007-5A Corduroy Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close	32	One bold piece
Burnt Caramel `#A97F46`	Behr S290-6 Golden Rice Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Close	24	One small textile
Warm Wheat `#DDBA7A`	Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Very close Behr 330D-4 Warm Muffin Very close Valspar 3004-5C Afternoon Stroll Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9026 Tarnished Trumpet Close	52	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 pale honey gold 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#D9CBA9

In north light the pale gold #FBE0A4 looks calmer and a little less yellow, which keeps the room warm without turning it bright.

South-facing room#FCE1AA

In strong south light the pale gold brightens and shows its warm yellow, so it works best in a room with some shade.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CFB17B

Under warm evening bulbs the whole palette glows, and the amber and caramel tones look richer next to the deep brown.

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 Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Burnt Caramel in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Honey Gold

Warm Wheat

Amber Gold

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs

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

Warm Home Color Palette: Sand, Cream and Gold With Brown Depth Warm

Warm Kitchen Color Schemes: Cream, Sand and Gold Walls Warm · Kitchen

More palettes like this

Lucia Frederic, Lord Leighton, possibly late 1870s

General Garibaldi's Residence at Caprera Frederick Richard Lee, 1865

The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne Alfred Sisley, 1872

FAQ

Which color from this painting works best on walls?

The pale gold #FBE0A4 has an LRV of 77, so it brightens a room and keeps the darker tones for furniture and wood.

How do I use the deep brown #6D4A27?

Use it for wood, a door or a bookshelf. Its LRV is 8, so it is too dark for large walls in most rooms.

Can I use all six colors in one room?

It is better to pick one wall color and two or three accents. The amber, caramel and wheat tones are close in depth, so they work well together in textiles and decor.

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.