North-facing room
#DBD7C9North light is cool and dim, so the cream wall at LRV 90 keeps the room bright. Its warm yellow undertone softens the coolness, but the wall may look a little flatter than it does in direct sun.
17th-century Flemish painting · art-to-room palette
Rubens, Helena Fourment (1614–1673), and Their Son Frans (1633–1678) Color Palette & Paint Colors
These colors come from Peter Paul Rubens's double portrait of Helena Fourment and their son Frans, ca. 1635, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The palette is mostly deep browns and ochres, with a dark slate blue and a warm pale cream, so it suits rooms that want depth and warmth.
Quick answer
Paint the walls in the pale warm cream, and use the muted sand beige for the main large surfaces. Use the walnut tan for wood trim and furniture, the deep olive umber for one or two accent pieces, and the slate blue for textiles such as cushions or a rug.
- Artist
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Date
- ca. 1635
- Movement
- 17th-century Flemish painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 90
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 charcoal brown
Deep olive umber
Warm walnut tan
Soft camel beige
Deep slate blue
Pale warm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Near-black charcoal brown#2B2623 |
|
2 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Deep olive umber#534D36 |
|
7 | One bold piece |
Warm walnut tan#8A7453 |
|
19 | Wood and frames |
Soft camel beige#B7A17A |
|
37 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Deep slate blue#36505D |
|
7 | One small textile |
Pale warm cream#FEF3D5 |
|
90 | 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 warm 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
#FEF0D0Strong south light lifts the cream wall and can make it look quite bright. The sand beige and walnut tan will look warmer and richer in this light, so check them against the wall in the afternoon.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2BC97Warm evening bulbs push the yellow undertones forward, so the cream and sand will look warmer and cozier. The slate blue will look darker and greyer under these lights, so test textiles at night before you commit.
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 walnut tan and the rug border takes Deep slate blue in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale warm cream
Soft camel beige
Deep olive umber
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
Which color should cover the largest wall?
Use the pale warm cream on the largest wall. At LRV 90 it reflects a lot of light, which keeps a room with dark furniture or trim from feeling closed in.
Can I use the near-black charcoal brown in a small room?
Use it on one feature, such as a door, a cabinet or a narrow accent wall, rather than on every wall. At LRV 2 it absorbs most light, which can make a small room feel smaller.
How do I pair the slate blue with the browns?
Use the slate blue on textiles such as cushions, a throw or a rug, and keep the walls and larger pieces in cream, sand and walnut tan. The cool blue sits well against the warm browns and gives the room contrast.
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.