North-facing room
#D9BC9AIn north light the wall looks softer and slightly cooler, and the warm yellow undertone becomes less obvious. The light value of 64 still helps the room feel open.
16th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette
Portrait of a Man Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette comes from a dark portrait, with deep browns and near-black shadows that frame a pale warm wall tone. It suits rooms that need a rich, enclosed feel, such as a study, a dining room, or a bedroom with a reading corner.
Quick answer
Use the pale apricot #FBC88C on the main walls to keep the room from feeling heavy. Put the dark umber and near-black shades in wood furniture, trim, and deep textiles, and add the ochre and rust as accents in cushions, rugs, or a single feature wall.
- Movement
- 16th-century Italian painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 64
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 green-black
Dark umber brown
Deep oxblood red
Muted ochre tan
Warm rust brown
Pale apricot cream
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Deep green-black#20201A |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Dark umber brown#362F23 |
|
3 | Wood and frames |
Deep oxblood red#532820 |
|
4 | One small textile |
Muted ochre tan#AE9565 |
|
31 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Warm rust brown#9E5C35 |
|
15 | One bold piece |
Pale apricot cream#FBC88C |
|
64 | 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 pale apricot cream 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
#FCCF97In strong south light the wall reads brighter and warmer, and it bounces a good deal of light into the room. Shades of the darker colors will look richer, so test them in full sun before committing.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#CFA46DUnder warm evening bulbs the apricot wall takes on a more amber, golden tone. The dark browns will look cozy and close, which suits a room used mainly 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.
Wood takes Dark umber brown and the rug border takes Deep oxblood red in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale apricot cream
Muted ochre tan
Warm rust brown
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
More palettes like this
FAQ
Can I use the near-black green on a whole room?
It is very dark, with a light reflectance value of 1, so it absorbs nearly all light. Use it on one wall, a door, or built-in cabinetry rather than across every surface. Keep the apricot wall nearby to balance it.
Which color works best for trim?
The dark umber #362F23 or the deep oxblood #532820 work well for trim and wood furniture. Both have very low light reflectance and give a strong, grounded edge against the pale wall.
How do I add the rust and ochre without making the room feel busy?
Limit them to a few items, such as one rug, two cushions, or a throw. The rust #9E5C35 is the accent and the ochre #AE9565 is the main mid-tone, so use the rust in smaller amounts than the ochre.
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.