Art-to-room palette

Mural Fragment Depicting a Maguey Bloodletting Ritual Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from a mural fragment made with lime plaster and mineral pigment. It is a warm set of clay, rust and blush tones with one pale neutral that anchors them, which suits rooms that want earthy color with plenty of light.

Quick answer

Use #E8E8E8 on the walls, since its LRV of 81 keeps the room bright. Use #D89A8C as the main color on larger pieces, #8E4033 as an accent, and #892916 in textiles.

Artist: Teotihuacan
Date: 500–600 CE
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 81

Mural Fragment Depicting a Maguey Bloodletting Ritual by Teotihuacan — Teotihuacan, *Mural Fragment Depicting a Maguey Bloodletting Ritual*, 500–600 CE. 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.

Pale neutral white

#E8E8E8 · 44.9% · LRV 81

Deep rust clay

#8E4033 · 19.1% · LRV 10

Muted terracotta brown

#A26459 · 13.9% · LRV 18

Warm clay coral

#C87564 · 10.3% · LRV 26

Soft blush clay

#D89A8C · 7% · LRV 40

Dark brick red

#892916 · 4.8% · LRV 7

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.

Mural Fragment Depicting a Maguey Bloodletting Ritual reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Pale neutral white is strongest — Pale neutral white

Detail of the painting where Deep rust clay is strongest — Deep rust clay

Detail of the painting where Muted terracotta brown is strongest — Muted terracotta brown

Detail of the painting where Warm clay coral is strongest — Warm clay coral

Detail of the painting where Soft blush clay is strongest — Soft blush clay

Detail of the painting where Dark brick red is strongest — Dark brick red

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
Pale neutral white `#E8E8E8`	Behr PR-W8 Ambience White Near-identical Valspar 7004-3 Lilac Muse Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube Very close Farrow & Ball No. 273 Wevet Very close	81	Main walls
Deep rust clay `#8E4033`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6334 Flower Pot Very close Behr PPU2-17 Morocco Red Close Valspar 2002-5A Decadent Red Close Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar	10	One bold piece
Muted terracotta brown `#A26459`	Behr HDC-CL-08 Sun Baked Earth Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6333 Foxy Close Valspar 2003-5A Tropical Nut Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Close	18	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm clay coral `#C87564`	Behr MQ4-33 Aloe Blossom Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9005 Coral Clay Close Valspar 2003-5B Florentine Clay Close	26	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft blush clay `#D89A8C`	Behr 240E-3 Coronado Dunes Very close Valspar 2002-6B Salmon Run Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6332 Coral Island Close Farrow & Ball No. 246 Cinder Rose Similar	40	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark brick red `#892916`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6335 Fired Brick Close Behr S-H-210 New Penny Close	7	One small textile

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 neutral 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#CDD1D5

North light is cool and soft, so the neutral wall will read a little cooler and grayer than its measured color. An LRV of 81 still bounces enough light to keep the room open.

South-facing room#EDE8DF

Strong south light brings out the brightness of the neutral wall and makes the warm clay tones look more saturated. Use the deeper rust and brick colors in smaller doses here, since direct sun can make them feel heavy.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5B6A2

Warm evening bulbs push the red-orange undertones forward. The blush and clay colors will look richer and cozier, and the pale neutral will take on a slightly warm cast.

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 Dark brick red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale neutral white

Soft blush clay

Deep rust clay

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Mural Fragment Depicting a Maguey Bloodletting Ritual

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

White Bathroom Paint: Three Shades and What to Pair Them With White · Bathroom

Gray and White House: Exterior Colors for Walls, Trim and Door House exterior · Grey

Blush Paint: Shades of Pink for Interior Walls Blush pink

West Facing Bedroom Colors That Balance Evening Light West-facing · Bedroom

Black Color for a Bedroom: Three Shades and What to Pair With Them Black · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Vétheuil Claude Monet, 1901

Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare Claude Monet, 1877

At the Milliner's Edgar Degas, 1881

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the deep red?

The darkest colors here, #892916 and #8E4033, have LRVs of 7 and 10, which read very dark. Use them on a textile, a cushion, a rug or a single accent piece instead of full walls.

Which color should I use in a small room?

Keep the walls in #E8E8E8, the lightest color at LRV 81. Add #D89A8C in larger textiles or furniture so the room feels warm without closing in.

Do these colors work with wood and natural materials?

Yes. The clay and rust tones are earthy, so they pair well with natural wood, linen and woven textures. Add the deeper brick and rust shades in fabric or ceramics to bring depth to those materials.

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.