16th-century German painting · art-to-room palette

Portrait of a Woman Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Portrait of a Woman by Bernhard Strigel, 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 Yellow on most walls, use Warm Ochre for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Red to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Bernhard Strigel
Date: ca. 1510–15
Movement: 16th-century German painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 75

Portrait of a Woman by Bernhard Strigel — Bernhard Strigel, *Portrait of a Woman*, ca. 1510–15. 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.

Ink Umber

#4E332D · 43.7% · LRV 4

Deep Red

#78443A · 17.7% · LRV 8

Warm Ochre

#BA8663 · 15.5% · LRV 28

Soft Teal

#4D746B · 10.5% · LRV 15

Soft Red

#9B5848 · 7.5% · LRV 14

Pale Yellow

#FFDAB1 · 5.2% · LRV 75

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.

Portrait of a Woman reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Teal is strongest — Soft Teal

Detail of the painting where Soft Red is strongest — Soft Red

Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest — Pale 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
Ink Umber `#4E332D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9182 Rojo Marrón Very close Behr S-G-770 Wild Horse Very close Valspar 1011-6 Ancient Burgundy Similar Farrow & Ball No. 222 Brinjal Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Red `#78443A`	Behr S210-7 October Leaves Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7591 Red Barn Very close Valspar 2003-7A Chocolate Cherry Close Farrow & Ball No. 43 Eating Room Red Similar	8	One bold piece
Warm Ochre `#BA8663`	Valspar 2005-5B Copper Hide Near-identical Behr 260F-5 Applesauce Cake Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7718 Oak Creek Very close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Similar	28	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft Teal `#4D746B`	Valspar 5008-8C Mosaic Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6474 Raging Sea Very close Behr 490F-6 Agave Frond Close Farrow & Ball No. 288 Vardo Similar	15	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Red `#9B5848`	Behr MQ1-25 Kalahari Sunset Very close Valspar 2003-5A Tropical Nut Very close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6327 Bold Brick Close	14	One small textile
Pale Yellow `#FFDAB1`	Behr 290B-4 Feather Plume Near-identical Valspar 3001-4B Peach Butter Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6652 Flan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Similar	75	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 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#DCC8B2

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

South-facing room#FFDDB4

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)#D2AE83

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 Soft Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Warm Ochre

Deep Red

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

Peach Bathroom Paint Colors Orange · Bathroom

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Woman of the Slosgin Family of Cologne Barthel Bruyn the Younger, 1557

Saint John on Patmos Hans Baldung (called Hans Baldung Grien), ca. 1511

Portrait of a Young Man; (reverse) Girl Making a Garland Hans Süss von Kulmbach, ca. 1508

FAQ

What colors are in Portrait of a Woman?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Ink Umber (#4E332D, 43.7% of the canvas), Deep Red (#78443A, 17.7% of the canvas), Warm Ochre (#BA8663, 15.5% of the canvas), Soft Teal (#4D746B, 10.5% of the canvas), Soft Red (#9B5848, 7.5% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFDAB1, 5.2% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 75% of the light that hits it (LRV 75), 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.