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

Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884" Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884" by Georges Seurat, 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 Pale Grey on most walls, use Light Green for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Green to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Red works best in a single textile.

Date
1884
Collection
The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license
Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV
66
Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884" by Georges Seurat
Georges Seurat, Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884", 1884. 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.

Deep Violet
#503B4C · 36% · LRV 5
Deep Green
#336445 · 20.2% · LRV 10
Warm Yellow
#A3965F · 13.7% · LRV 30
Pale Grey
#D9D4CE · 11% · LRV 66
Warm Red
#AC6759 · 9.6% · LRV 19
Light Green
#A5B265 · 9.4% · LRV 41

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.

Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884" reduced to its palette colors
The same scene in 6 flat colors.
Detail of the painting where Deep Violet is strongest
Deep Violet
Detail of the painting where Deep Green is strongest
Deep Green
Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest
Warm Yellow
Detail of the painting where Pale Grey is strongest
Pale Grey
Detail of the painting where Warm Red is strongest
Warm Red
Detail of the painting where Light Green is strongest
Light Green

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 Violet
#503B4C
  • Behr PPU17-02 Oriental Eggplant Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 254 Pelt Close
  • Valspar 4011-10 Plum Good Close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6286 Mature Grape Close
5 Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Green
#336445
  • Valspar 6010-6 Poker Green Very close
  • Behr M440-7 Rainforest Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6734 Espalier Close
10 One bold piece
Warm Yellow
#A3965F
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6417 Tupelo Tree Close
  • Behr 350F-6 Fossil Butte Close
  • Valspar 6006-6B Olive Rush Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Similar
30 Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Grey
#D9D4CE
  • Behr HDC-MD-21 Dove Near-identical
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 7021 Simple White Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 274 Ammonite Very close
  • Valspar 2006-10C Vanilla Steam Very close
66 Main walls
Warm Red
#AC6759
  • Behr QE-04 Chimayo Red Very close
  • Valspar 2002-5B Kitchen Tile Red Very close
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 6326 Henna Shade Very close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Close
19 One small textile
Light Green
#A5B265
  • Sherwin-Williams SW 9032 Stay in Lime Very close
  • Valspar 6003-6B Fiddlehead Fern Close
  • Behr S340-5 Farm Fresh Close
  • Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Similar
41 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 pale grey 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#C3C4C4

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

South-facing room#E1D8CB

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)#BCAB93

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 Warm Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Grey
Light Green
Deep Green
Linen
Oiled oak
Lime plaster
Aged brass
Palette card for Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884"

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

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FAQ

What colors are in Oil Sketch for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884"?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Violet (#503B4C, 36% of the canvas), Deep Green (#336445, 20.2% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#A3965F, 13.7% of the canvas), Pale Grey (#D9D4CE, 11% of the canvas), Warm Red (#AC6759, 9.6% of the canvas), Light Green (#A5B265, 9.4% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 66% of the light that hits it (LRV 66), 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.

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.