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

After the Ball Color Palette & Paint Colors

After the Ball by Alfred Stevens is a palette of dark charcoal, deep browns and soft warm beige. It suits a study, library or bedroom where you want depth and calm.

Quick answer

Use the lightened stone #DDD7C9 on the walls and the khaki #99885A for the main furniture. Use #655437 as an accent, #855A38 for wood and #4C3F2B for textiles.

Artist: Alfred Stevens
Date: 1874
Movement: 19th-century Belgian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

After the Ball by Alfred Stevens — Alfred Stevens, *After the Ball*, 1874. 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.

Charcoal Ink

#212628 · 36.8% · LRV 2

Dark Bark Brown

#4C3F2B · 22.9% · LRV 5

Soft Greige Stone

#B6AF9F · 17.8% · LRV 43

Peat Brown

#655437 · 14.9% · LRV 9

Muted Khaki Gold

#99885A · 5.9% · LRV 25

Warm Walnut

#855A38 · 1.6% · LRV 13

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.

After the Ball reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Charcoal Ink is strongest — Charcoal Ink

Detail of the painting where Dark Bark Brown is strongest — Dark Bark Brown

Detail of the painting where Soft Greige Stone is strongest — Soft Greige Stone

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

Detail of the painting where Muted Khaki Gold is strongest — Muted Khaki Gold

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

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
Charcoal Ink `#212628`	Behr 770F-7 Beluga Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark Bark Brown `#4C3F2B`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar	5	One small textile
Soft Greige Stone `#B6AF9F`	Behr QE-35 Stone Walkway Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 5 Hardwick White Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 49 Silver Gray Near-identical Valspar 6002-1B Hunter's White Very close	43	Main walls
Peat Brown `#655437`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Very close Behr PPU7-01 Moss Stone Very close Valspar 6009-2 Harvest Brown Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	One bold piece
Muted Khaki Gold `#99885A`	Behr PPU9-02 Lucky Bamboo Close Valspar 6007-4B Rolling Prairie Close Sherwin-Williams SW 2815 Renwick Olive Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	25	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Walnut `#855A38`	Behr S230-7 Toasted Bagel Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6096 Jute Brown Very close Valspar 2008-7A Natural Cork Similar	13	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.

This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#DDD7C9).

How the lightest tone 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#C6C6C1

In north light the lightened wall color #DDD7C9 looks a little gray, so add warm lamps in the evening.

South-facing room#E4DAC7

In strong south light the wall reads as a soft, warm off-white and the khaki furniture looks lighter.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BFAC90

Under warm evening bulbs the greige turns creamy and the darks all lean toward brown.

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 and the rug border takes Dark Bark Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Greige Stone

Muted Khaki Gold

Peat Brown

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

Hygge Color Scheme: Six Calm Colors from Paintings Scandinavian style

More palettes like this

Hesitation (Madame Monteaux?) Alfred Stevens, c. 1867

FAQ

Why does this wall color not appear in the painting?

The painting has no light tone, so the wall color is a lightened version of its palest color, #B6AF9F.

Is the charcoal blue or neutral?

The #212628 has a neutral undertone and an LRV of 2, so it behaves like a soft black.

Can I paint the woodwork in the walnut?

The #855A38 has an LRV of 13 and a warm red-orange undertone. It works well for doors or shelves against a pale wall.

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.