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

Springtime Color Palette & Paint Colors

Springtime by Théodore Rousseau is built on two big masses: a very dark olive-brown and a pale, cool blue-gray. A room in this palette suits people who like earthy walls with a calm, cool contrast.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #E4E3D2 on the walls, the mustard #A89238 for the main furniture, and the dark olive #655E25 for wood. Keep #5E4B21 for one accent and #8D6732 for textiles.

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: 76

Springtime by Théodore Rousseau — Théodore Rousseau, *Springtime*, c. 1860. 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.

Dark Olive Umber

#5E4B21 · 36% · LRV 8

Pale Mist Blue

#BACBCB · 27.7% · LRV 58

Mossy Olive

#655E25 · 21.3% · LRV 11

Soft Green Cream

#E4E3D2 · 8.9% · LRV 76

Tobacco Brown

#8D6732 · 3.5% · LRV 16

Antique Mustard

#A89238 · 2.7% · LRV 29

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.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Pale Mist Blue is strongest — Pale Mist Blue

Detail of the painting where Mossy Olive is strongest — Mossy Olive

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

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

Detail of the painting where Antique Mustard is strongest — Antique Mustard

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
Dark Olive Umber `#5E4B21`	Behr 300F-7 Centaur Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Similar	8	One bold piece
Pale Mist Blue `#BACBCB`	Behr MQ3-54 Dayflower Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6225 Sleepy Blue Very close Valspar 5002-3B Sparkling Lake Close Farrow & Ball No. 27 Parma Gray Close	58	Small accents, art, accessories
Mossy Olive `#655E25`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6419 Saguaro Very close Behr 320F-7 Fig Close Valspar 6005-4C Summer's End Similar Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	11	Wood and frames
Soft Green Cream `#E4E3D2`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6175 Sagey Near-identical Valspar 6004-3A Summer Mist Near-identical Behr N310-2 Arid Landscape Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2010 James White Very close	76	Main walls
Tobacco Brown `#8D6732`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6132 Relic Bronze Very close Behr S280-7 Roasted Squash Very close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar	16	One small textile
Antique Mustard `#A89238`	Behr 350D-6 Bronze Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6705 High Strung Close Valspar 6007-6C Crushed Oregano Similar	29	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 green 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#CACDC7

In north light the cream #E4E3D2, at LRV 76, keeps its green tint and stays gently cool, so it will look quieter than it does on a sunny day.

South-facing room#EAE4CE

In strong south light the cream wall brightens toward a clean pale green-white, and the mustard #A89238 can look more yellow than it does indoors.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C3B396

Under warm evening bulbs the cream turns buttery and the dark olives sink toward brown, which makes the room feel closer and more enclosed.

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 Mossy Olive and the rug border takes Tobacco Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Green Cream

Antique Mustard

Dark Olive Umber

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

Sky Blue Color Combination for a Room Light blue

Exterior Cottage Color Schemes: Four Palettes for Walls, Trim and Door House exterior · Cottage

Gray and White Bedroom Walls: Shades and Accent Colors Grey · Bedroom

More palettes like this

A Village in a Valley Théodore Rousseau, late 1820s

Dancers in the Rehearsal Room with a Double Bass Edgar Degas, ca. 1882–85

The Pink Dress (Albertie-Marguerite Carré, later Madame Ferdinand-Henri Himmes, 1854–1935) Berthe Morisot, ca. 1870

FAQ

Can I use the dark olive-brown on all four walls?

At LRV 8 it will absorb most of the light, so it works best in a room with large windows or as a single feature wall. Pair it with the cream #E4E3D2 on trim and ceiling.

Where does the pale blue-gray fit in?

The #BACBCB has an LRV of 57 and a cool blue undertone. It is a good choice for a curtain, a rug or a softer wall in a bedroom that gets little sun.

Which color should be the smallest?

The mustard #A89238. It has a warm yellow undertone and stands out next to the cool blue-gray, so one cushion or lamp is often enough.

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.