18th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from warm clay beiges, taupes, and soft creams, all taken from an 18th-century fresco. It suits rooms that need a calm, earthy base with a little warmth, such as living rooms, dining rooms, and hallways.

Quick answer

Use the main clay beige #BCA897 on most walls and the very light cream #F8E5D0 on ceilings or trim. Add the warm taupe #9E8E7D as an accent wall, the pale apricot sand #E2C8B1 in textiles, and the honey walnut #A18565 in wood furniture.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Date: 1760
Movement: 18th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 81

Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo — Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, *Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic*, 1760. 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.

Soft clay beige

#BCA897 · 31.1% · LRV 41

Warm taupe stone

#9E8E7D · 29.6% · LRV 28

Deep olive taupe

#7B7362 · 24.8% · LRV 17

Pale apricot sand

#E2C8B1 · 10% · LRV 61

Honey walnut brown

#A18565 · 2.4% · LRV 25

Warm ivory cream

#F8E5D0 · 2% · LRV 81

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.

Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Warm taupe stone is strongest — Warm taupe stone

Detail of the painting where Deep olive taupe is strongest — Deep olive taupe

Detail of the painting where Pale apricot sand is strongest — Pale apricot sand

Detail of the painting where Honey walnut brown is strongest — Honey walnut brown

Detail of the painting where Warm ivory cream is strongest — Warm ivory 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
Soft clay beige `#BCA897`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9087 Smoky Beige Near-identical Valspar 1001-10A Western Sandstone Very close Behr MQ2-37 Eiffel For You Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Very close	41	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm taupe stone `#9E8E7D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9174 Moth Wing Near-identical Behr UL140-6 Antique Leather Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Very close Valspar 6006-2A Stone Manor Very close	28	One bold piece
Deep olive taupe `#7B7362`	Behr N210-5 Caffeine Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7740 Messenger Bag Very close Valspar 6007-2C Olive Sawdust Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	17	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale apricot sand `#E2C8B1`	Valspar 2007-8B Sahara Sands Near-identical Behr PPU3-08 Sienna Dust Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2859 Beige Very close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Close	61	One small textile
Honey walnut brown `#A18565`	Behr HDC-NT-28 Soft Bronze Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9113 Mudslide Near-identical Valspar 3004-9B Crunch Granola Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	25	Wood and frames
Warm ivory cream `#F8E5D0`	Behr M240-1 Bay Scallop Very close Valspar 2005-6C Subtle Suede Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6644 Champagne Very close Farrow & Ball No. 203 Tallow Very close	81	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 warm ivory 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#D7CEC6

In north light, the main clay beige (LRV 41) looks cooler and a little grayer. Its warm undertone helps it stay inviting, but pair it with warm bulbs to keep it from feeling flat.

South-facing room#FAE5CC

In strong south light, the clay beige brightens and its red-orange undertone shows more clearly. The cream ceiling and trim will look especially soft, so check a large sample before committing.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CEB595

Under warm evening bulbs, the palette turns richer and more golden. The deep olive taupe (LRV 17) becomes cozy rather than heavy, and the wood tones look especially warm.

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 Honey walnut brown and the rug border takes Pale apricot sand in every combination.

Mood board

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

Warm ivory cream

Soft clay beige

Warm taupe stone

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic

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

Classic Bedroom Colors Traditional style

Warm Paint Colors for Bedroom Walls, Measured from Paintings Warm · Bedroom

More palettes like this

The Investiture of Bishop Harold as Duke of Franconia Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, ca. 1751–52

Medea Rejuvenating Aeson Corrado Giaquinto, ca. 1760

The Grand Canal, Venice, Looking South toward the Rialto Bridge Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), 1730s

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the deep olive taupe?

This color has an LRV of 17, so it reads very dark. It works best as a single accent wall or in a room with plenty of light and warm lamps. In a small or dim room, use it sparingly.

Which color should I use for a small room with little natural light?

Use the very light cream #F8E5D0 on the walls to bounce light around the room. Keep the clay beige for one wall or for the trim to add warmth without closing the space in.

How do I pick trim color with this palette?

The warm ivory cream works well for trim and ceilings, since it sits lighter than the main wall. The pale apricot sand is also a good choice for trim if you want less contrast.

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.