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

Landscape Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Théodore Rousseau's oil on panel Landscape, c. 1850, held at The Art Institute of Chicago. Its warm yellows, olive browns and near-black suit rooms that want a quiet, earthy, lived-in feel.

Quick answer

Use the pale butter tone on the walls and the muted straw yellow on larger pieces such as a sofa or cabinetry. Add the dark olive for wood and the deep ochre for an accent wall or trim, and keep the golden ochre for textiles like cushions or curtains.

Artist: Théodore Rousseau
Date: c. 1850
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

Landscape by Théodore Rousseau — Théodore Rousseau, *Landscape*, c. 1850. 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.

Warm near-black

#221810 · 41.7% · LRV 1

Muted straw yellow

#C4B879 · 26.1% · LRV 47

Dark olive wood

#564B1A · 12.4% · LRV 7

Deep ochre olive

#84752E · 9.1% · LRV 18

Pale butter cream

#E8E0A1 · 8.5% · LRV 73

Mid golden ochre

#AF9A46 · 2.4% · LRV 33

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.

Landscape reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Warm near-black is strongest — Warm near-black

Detail of the painting where Muted straw yellow is strongest — Muted straw yellow

Detail of the painting where Dark olive wood is strongest — Dark olive wood

Detail of the painting where Deep ochre olive is strongest — Deep ochre olive

Detail of the painting where Pale butter cream is strongest — Pale butter cream

Detail of the painting where Mid golden ochre is strongest — Mid golden ochre

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
Warm near-black `#221810`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7630 Raisin Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted straw yellow `#C4B879`	Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9029 Cool Avocado Very close Behr S310-4 Perennial Gold Close Valspar 6007-6A New Avocado Close	47	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark olive wood `#564B1A`	Behr 360F-7 Olive Shadow Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Similar	7	Wood and frames
Deep ochre olive `#84752E`	Behr 360F-6 Raked Leaves Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6713 Verdant Close Valspar 6006-6C Olivita Similar	18	One bold piece
Pale butter cream `#E8E0A1`	Valspar 6008-5C Desert Hotsprings Very close Behr 390E-3 Rainforest Dew Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 1667 Icy Lemonade Close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Close	73	Main walls
Mid golden ochre `#AF9A46`	Behr 330F-5 Golden Bear Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6705 High Strung Close Valspar 6008-6C City Chartreuse Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	33	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 pale butter 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.

North-facing room#CDCBA7

In north light the pale butter wall (LRV 73) stays bright but can look a little cooler and greyer. Pair it with warmer lamps to keep the yellow from going flat.

South-facing room#EDE1A8

Strong south light lifts the pale butter wall and can make it look close to white. Deeper colors like the olive and ochre will hold their depth and look richer in the same room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5B17A

Under warm evening bulbs the yellow undertones come forward and the room feels glowing and warm. The darker olive and near-black tones gain depth, which suits a room used mostly 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 Dark olive wood and the rug border takes Mid golden ochre in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale butter cream

Muted straw yellow

Deep ochre olive

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

Mustard Paint: Shades of Golden Yellow for Interior Walls Mustard

More palettes like this

Wooded Landscape Gustave Courbet, 1860–65

Chrysanthemums Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881–82

Portrait of a Woman Charles Cottet, c. 1900

FAQ

Can I use the near-black from this palette on a whole room?

It is very dark, with an LRV of 1, so it can make a room feel closed in. Use it in small amounts, such as a shadowed corner, a frame or a narrow band of trim.

Which color should I start with?

Start with the pale butter wall color, since it sets the light for the room. Then choose the muted straw yellow for a main piece, and build the rest of the scheme around those two.

How do I keep the scheme from feeling too yellow?

Balance the warm yellows with the dark olive wood tone and a little of the near-black. Adding a cooler neutral in small pieces, such as a metal lamp base, can also break up the warmth.

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.

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

Landscape Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is a set of olive greens, cream, and warm browns, taken from a landscape with deep shadow and pale, soft light. It suits rooms where you want a calm, earthy base with a few dark notes for depth.

Quick answer

Use #E2E4C4 on the walls and #DFE3D1 on upholstery or curtains. Bring in #5B4A1A for floors or wood trim, #9B803D for one or two secondary pieces, #383210 for an accent such as a door, and #151107 only for small details like a frame or lamp base.

Artist: Théodore Rousseau
Date: c. 1835
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

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 Warm Umber

#151107 · 57.2% · LRV 1

Dark Olive Brown

#383210 · 14.4% · LRV 3

Pale Sage Linen

#DFE3D1 · 13.9% · LRV 75

Soft Celadon Cream

#E2E4C4 · 9% · LRV 76

Deep Walnut Ochre

#5B4A1A · 4% · LRV 7

Muted Gold Ochre

#9B803D · 1.4% · LRV 23

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.

Detail of the painting where Near-Black Warm Umber is strongest — Near-Black Warm Umber

Detail of the painting where Dark Olive Brown is strongest — Dark Olive Brown

Detail of the painting where Pale Sage Linen is strongest — Pale Sage Linen

Detail of the painting where Soft Celadon Cream is strongest — Soft Celadon Cream

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

Detail of the painting where Muted Gold Ochre is strongest — Muted Gold Ochre

Closest paint colors

Painting color	Closest paints	LRV	Use it for
Near-Black Warm Umber `#151107`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Nearest available	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Olive Brown `#383210`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Similar	3	One bold piece
Pale Sage Linen `#DFE3D1`	Behr MQ3-46 Folly Near-identical Valspar 7005-6 Parisian Mist Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6175 Sagey Very close Farrow & Ball No. 252 Pavilion Blue Close	75	One small textile
Soft Celadon Cream `#E2E4C4`	Behr 770C-2 Belvedere Cream Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6428 Honeydew Very close Valspar 6006-7A Whipped Mint Very close Farrow & Ball No. 206 Green Ground Close	76	Main walls
Deep Walnut Ochre `#5B4A1A`	Behr 300F-7 Centaur Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Similar	7	Wood and frames
Muted Gold Ochre `#9B803D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6410 Brassy Very close Behr UL180-3 Madagascar Very close Valspar 3008-7A Grecian Olive Similar	23	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 soft celadon 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.

North-facing room#C9CEBE

In north light, #E2E4C4 looks cooler and its green undertone shows more. At LRV 76, it still reads light and keeps the room bright.

South-facing room#E8E4C3

Strong south sun brings out the warm yellow in #E2E4C4, so the wall can look creamier by afternoon. It stays light, and it pairs well with the darker browns in the room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C1B48D

Under warm evening bulbs, #E2E4C4 moves toward cream and the yellow comes forward. The darker tones, #383210 and #5B4A1A, look richer and more saturated under lamps.

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 Ochre and the rug border takes Pale Sage Linen in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Celadon Cream

Muted Gold Ochre

Dark Olive 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

Modern Exterior House Colors and Color Schemes House exterior · Modern

Modern Bedroom Colors and Color Combinations Modern style

More palettes like this

Tahitian Landscape Paul Gauguin, 1892

By the Seashore Auguste Renoir, 1883

The Outskirts of a Village Edmond-François Aman-Jean, ca. 1880

FAQ

Can I use these colors in a small room?

Yes. Keep #E2E4C4 on the walls, since its LRV of 76 bounces light. Limit the darkest tones, #151107 and #383210, to one or two small areas so the room does not feel closed in.

Which color should I use on the ceiling?

Use #E2E4C4 or a lighter tint of it on the ceiling. Going darker overhead can make the room feel lower.

What wood tones go well with this palette?

The #5B4A1A shade is the closest match to the wood in this palette. It works for floors, frames, and trim, and it sits well beside the pale walls and sage textiles.

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

Landscape Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Landscape by Théodore Rousseau, 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 Soft White on most walls, use Deep Grey for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Soft Black to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Shadow Grey works best in a single textile.

Artist: Théodore Rousseau
Date: c. 1860
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 83

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.

Shadow Grey

#3F3F3F · 38.3% · LRV 5

Soft Black

#1C1C1C · 23.4% · LRV 1

Muted Grey

#787878 · 22% · LRV 19

Deep Grey

#A4A4A4 · 9.1% · LRV 37

Light Grey

#C8C8C8 · 5.5% · LRV 58

Soft White

#EBEBEB · 1.7% · LRV 83

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.

Detail of the painting where Shadow Grey is strongest — Shadow Grey

Detail of the painting where Soft Black is strongest — Soft Black

Detail of the painting where Muted Grey is strongest — Muted Grey

Detail of the painting where Deep Grey is strongest — Deep Grey

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

Detail of the painting where Soft White is strongest — Soft White

Closest paint colors

Painting color	Closest paints	LRV	Use it for
Shadow Grey `#3F3F3F`	Behr BLACK Black Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7069 Iron Ore Very close Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Very close Farrow & Ball No. 57 Off-Black Very close	5	One small textile
Soft Black `#1C1C1C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 770F-7 Beluga Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	1	One bold piece
Muted Grey `#787878`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2849 Westchester Gray Near-identical Behr N140-5 Complex Gray Very close Valspar 4003-2B Rugged Suede Very close Farrow & Ball No. 276 Mole's Breath Similar	19	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Grey `#A4A4A4`	Behr UL260-7 Cathedral Grey Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7073 Network Gray Close Valspar 4004-1C Hazy Stratus Close Farrow & Ball No. 265 Manor House Gray Close	37	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Grey `#C8C8C8`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6260 Unique Gray Very close Behr N140-2 Chicago Fog Very close Valspar 4005-1B Gravity Very close Farrow & Ball No. 284 Worsted Close	58	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft White `#EBEBEB`	Behr PR-W8 Ambience White Near-identical Valspar 7004-3 Lilac Muse Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube Very close Farrow & Ball No. 273 Wevet Very close	83	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 soft white 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#CFD3D7

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#EFEAE1

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C7B8A4

Under 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.

Walls

Bed, sofa, island

Bold piece

Wood takes a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Shadow Grey in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft White

Deep Grey

Soft Black

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

More palettes like this

Young Woman Sewing Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1879

Two Sisters (On the Terrace) Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881

By the Seashore Auguste Renoir, 1883

FAQ

What colors are in Landscape?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Shadow Grey (#3F3F3F, 38.3% of the canvas), Soft Black (#1C1C1C, 23.4% of the canvas), Muted Grey (#787878, 22% of the canvas), Deep Grey (#A4A4A4, 9.1% of the canvas), Light Grey (#C8C8C8, 5.5% of the canvas), Soft White (#EBEBEB, 1.7% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 83% of the light that hits it (LRV 83), 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 Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.