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

The Forest at Pontaubert Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from The Forest at Pontaubert 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 Deep Yellow on most walls, use Warm Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Olive to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: Georges Seurat
Date: 1881
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

The Forest at Pontaubert by Georges Seurat — Georges Seurat, *The Forest at Pontaubert*, 1881. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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 Olive

#5D5C28 · 34.5% · LRV 10

Warm Olive

#807A32 · 33.6% · LRV 19

Warm Yellow

#AAA241 · 18.5% · LRV 35

Deep Umber

#876328 · 4.9% · LRV 14

Light Yellow

#DCC877 · 4.9% · LRV 58

Deep Yellow

#E0D058 · 3.5% · LRV 62

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.

The Forest at Pontaubert reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm Yellow

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

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

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

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 Olive `#5D5C28`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6419 Saguaro Very close Behr 750D-6 Lemon Pepper Close Valspar 6005-4C Summer's End Similar Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	10	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Olive `#807A32`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6713 Verdant Very close Behr M330-7 Green Tea Leaf Close Valspar 6006-6C Olivita Similar	19	One bold piece
Warm Yellow `#AAA241`	Behr 370F-6 Mossy Rock Very close Valspar 6007-6B Gilded Pesto Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet Close	35	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Umber `#876328`	Behr N280-7 Brass Button Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6132 Relic Bronze Close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar	14	Small accents, art, accessories
Light Yellow `#DCC877`	Valspar 6008-6A Crushed Cumin Very close Behr 390D-5 Sea Kelp Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 73 Chartreuse Close Farrow & Ball No. 74 Citron Similar	58	One small textile
Deep Yellow `#E0D058`	Behr 380D-5 California Dreaming Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6703 Frolic Close Valspar 6008-10A Tangy Dill Close Farrow & Ball No. 74 Citron Similar	62	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 deep yellow 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#C8C179

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

South-facing room#E7D56F

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)#C0A850

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 Light Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Deep Yellow

Warm Yellow

Warm Olive

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Forest at Pontaubert

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

Yellow Dancers (In the Wings) Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas, 1874–76

A River Landscape with Storks Charles-François Daubigny, 1864

Fan Mount: The Ballet Edgar Degas, 1879

FAQ

What colors are in The Forest at Pontaubert?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Olive (#5D5C28, 34.5% of the canvas), Warm Olive (#807A32, 33.6% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#AAA241, 18.5% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#876328, 4.9% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#DCC877, 4.9% of the canvas), Deep Yellow (#E0D058, 3.5% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 62% of the light that hits it (LRV 62), 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 Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.