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

Man with Lance Riding through the Snow Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Adolphe Schreyer's "Man with Lance Riding through the Snow" (c. 1880), held by The Art Institute of Chicago. Muted moss green, warm stone and soft cream give a calm, earthy base for living rooms, bedrooms and hallways.

Quick answer

Use the pale stone for main surfaces and the soft cream for walls. Add the moss green as an accent on one wall or a door, and bring in the wheat and walnut through textiles and wood.

Artist: Adolphe Schreyer
Date: c. 1880
Movement: 19th-century German painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 78

Man with Lance Riding through the Snow by Adolphe Schreyer — Adolphe Schreyer, *Man with Lance Riding through the Snow*, c. 1880. 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.

Dusty moss green

#747D68 · 45.2% · LRV 19

Soft wheat khaki

#A99F7A · 19.4% · LRV 35

Pale warm stone

#CAC29D · 14.3% · LRV 54

Dark roasted umber

#3E352F · 12.1% · LRV 4

Creamy warm white

#E9E6C8 · 5.2% · LRV 78

Warm walnut brown

#8E764F · 3.8% · LRV 19

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.

Man with Lance Riding through the Snow reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Dusty moss green is strongest — Dusty moss green

Detail of the painting where Soft wheat khaki is strongest — Soft wheat khaki

Detail of the painting where Pale warm stone is strongest — Pale warm stone

Detail of the painting where Dark roasted umber is strongest — Dark roasted umber

Detail of the painting where Creamy warm white is strongest — Creamy warm white

Detail of the painting where Warm walnut brown is strongest — Warm walnut brown

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
Dusty moss green `#747D68`	Behr PPU11-18 Cactus Garden Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6186 Dried Thyme Close Valspar 5008-4C April Arbor Close Farrow & Ball No. 47 Green Smoke Close	19	One bold piece
Soft wheat khaki `#A99F7A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 42 Ruskin Room Green Near-identical Valspar 6007-4A Gold Infusion Very close Behr PPU9-04 Fresh Olive Very close Farrow & Ball No. 19 Lichen Similar	35	One small textile
Pale warm stone `#CAC29D`	Behr BXC-80 Wildwood Near-identical Valspar 6006-5B Parlour Sage Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7732 Lemongrass Very close Farrow & Ball No. 75 Ball Green Close	54	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark roasted umber `#3E352F`	Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Valspar 1011-10 Brown Velvet Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Creamy warm white `#E9E6C8`	Valspar 6007-5A Green Highland Near-identical Behr S320-2 Pale Parsnip Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6421 Celery Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2012 House White Close	78	Main walls
Warm walnut brown `#8E764F`	Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Very close Behr N270-6 Westminster Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9114 Fallen Leaves Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	19	Wood and frames

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 creamy warm 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#CDCFC0

In north light the cream wall reads cooler and slightly greyer. The warm yellow undertone becomes more noticeable, so pair it with warm wood tones to keep the room inviting.

South-facing room#EEE6C6

Strong south light lifts the cream to a bright, near-white tone. Its warm undertone softens the glare, and the room stays light without feeling stark.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5B590

Under warm evening bulbs the cream takes on a golden, honey tone. The stone and wheat shades deepen slightly, so the room feels cozy and 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 Warm walnut brown and the rug border takes Soft wheat khaki in every combination.

Mood board

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

Creamy warm white

Pale warm stone

Dusty moss green

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Man with Lance Riding through the Snow

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

Gray Green Color: Shades for Interior Walls, Light to Dark Green-grey

Sage Green Complementary Colors, Taken from Real Paintings Sage green

Green Exterior Paint Colors for Your House House exterior · Green

More palettes like this

The Family of Mr. Westphal in the Conservatory Eduard Gaertner, 1836

Florinda Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1853

A Huntsman and a Peasant Woman by the Isar River with a View of Munich Wilhelm von Kobell, 1823

FAQ

Which color works best on walls in a small room?

The soft cream, which has a light reflectance value of 78, is the lightest choice and bounces light well. It helps a small room feel more open.

Can I use the dark umber in a room?

Yes, but use it in small amounts. Its reflectance value of 4 is very dark, so it works best on a single accent piece, a door or a piece of furniture rather than whole walls.

Will the moss green look too heavy on a full wall?

It can feel heavy across a whole room, since its reflectance value is 19. Use it on one wall or an accent area, and balance it with the cream and stone shades.

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.