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

Portrait of an Old Man Color Palette & Paint Colors

El Greco's Portrait of an Old Man, painted around 1595 to 1600 and held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is mostly a neutral charcoal with small warm highlights. It suits a library, a media room or a formal dining room.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #FFE8C9 on the ceiling or walls, the beige #CFBCA5 for main furniture, and the charcoal #413D38 on a feature wall or built-ins.

Artist: El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos)
Date: ca. 1595–1600
Movement: 16th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 83

Portrait of an Old Man by El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) — El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos), *Portrait of an Old Man*, ca. 1595–1600. 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.

Old Master Charcoal

#413D38 · 61.7% · LRV 5

Shadow Black

#292826 · 21.6% · LRV 2

Dusty Walnut

#7C6C57 · 9.3% · LRV 16

Sepia Khaki

#9E8B70 · 3.2% · LRV 27

Warm Linen Beige

#CFBCA5 · 2.8% · LRV 52

Candlelight Cream

#FFE8C9 · 1.3% · LRV 83

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 an Old Man reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Old Master Charcoal is strongest — Old Master Charcoal

Detail of the painting where Shadow Black is strongest — Shadow Black

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

Detail of the painting where Sepia Khaki is strongest — Sepia Khaki

Detail of the painting where Warm Linen Beige is strongest — Warm Linen Beige

Detail of the painting where Candlelight Cream is strongest — Candlelight Cream

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
Old Master Charcoal `#413D38`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7675 Sealskin Very close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Close	5	One bold piece
Shadow Black `#292826`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Dusty Walnut `#7C6C57`	Valspar 3007-9A Twilight Jungle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6159 High Tea Very close Behr N260-6 Outdoor Cafe Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	16	Wood and frames
Sepia Khaki `#9E8B70`	Behr N240-5 Rodeo Tan Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6158 Sawdust Very close Valspar 3008-9C Rugged Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	27	One small textile
Warm Linen Beige `#CFBCA5`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9110 Malabar Very close Behr N240-3 Sonoran Desert Very close Farrow & Ball No. 264 Oxford Stone Very close Valspar 3003-10B Hopsack Very close	52	Bed, sofa, curtains
Candlelight Cream `#FFE8C9`	Valspar 2008-4C Almond Whip Very close Behr M260-2 Light Nougat Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7681 Tea Light Very close Farrow & Ball No. 203 Tallow Close	83	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 candlelight cream 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#DCD1C1

The cream #FFE8C9 has an LRV of 83, the highest here, and gives a north-facing room the most reflected light of any color in this palette.

South-facing room#FFE8C7

In strong south light the charcoal #413D38, with an LRV of 5, looks like a rich soft black, and the neutral undertone keeps it from turning brown or blue.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2B690

Under warm evening bulbs the cream turns golden, and the two darks absorb the glow, so a room painted mostly in them needs several lamps.

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 Dusty Walnut and the rug border takes Sepia Khaki in every combination.

Mood board

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

Candlelight Cream

Warm Linen Beige

Old Master Charcoal

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

Exterior Paint Colors with White Trim House exterior · White

More palettes like this

Virgin and Child with Angels Bernard van Orley, ca. 1518

Portrait of a Man Corneille de Lyon, ca. 1540–50

Man Weighing Gold Adriaen Isenbrant, ca. 1515–20

FAQ

Is charcoal #413D38 too dark for walls?

For a small, enclosed room like a library it can work well. In a room with one small window, use it on a single wall or on shelving instead of all four walls.

What finish should I use with such dark colors?

Matte or eggshell hides roller marks and imperfections. Use satin only on trim, doors and cabinets that are touched often.

Do the warm browns clash with the neutral charcoal?

No. They share the same low saturation, so #7C6C57 and #9E8B70 sit comfortably with the gray. Use them in wood and leather.

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.