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

The Capture of Carthage Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from The Capture of Carthage by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 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 Soft White on most walls, use Shadow Grey for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Soft Umber to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Date: 1725–29
Movement: 18th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 80

The Capture of Carthage by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo — Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, *The Capture of Carthage*, 1725–29. 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.

Deep Umber

#664728 · 33.5% · LRV 8

Ink Umber

#422B16 · 24.5% · LRV 3

Shadow Grey

#556465 · 24.4% · LRV 12

Soft Umber

#935A24 · 12.5% · LRV 14

Soft White

#E7E7E7 · 3.8% · LRV 80

Deep Red

#A34425 · 1.3% · LRV 12

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.

The Capture of Carthage reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Red is strongest — Deep 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
Deep Umber `#664728`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Very close Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Very close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	8	Wood and frames
Ink Umber `#422B16`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Similar Behr 760B-7 Revival Mahogany Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Shadow Grey `#556465`	Farrow & Ball No. 289 Inchyra Blue Very close Behr PPU12-20 Underwater Very close Valspar 5002-4C Sequoia Glade Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6223 Still Water Close	12	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft Umber `#935A24`	Behr S250-6 Desert Clay Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6118 Leather Bound Similar Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar	14	One bold piece
Soft White `#E7E7E7`	Valspar 7004-1 Winter Dawn Very close Behr PR-W8 Ambience White Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube Very close Farrow & Ball No. 273 Wevet Very close	80	Main walls
Deep Red `#A34425`	Behr S-H-220 Summer Heat Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6342 Spicy Hue Close Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Similar Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	12	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 soft 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#CCD0D5

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

South-facing room#ECE7DE

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)#C5B5A1

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 Deep Umber and the rug border takes Deep Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft White

Shadow Grey

Soft Umber

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Capture of Carthage

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

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

Fantastic Landscape Francesco Guardi, ca. 1765

FAQ

What colors are in The Capture of Carthage?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#664728, 33.5% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#422B16, 24.5% of the canvas), Shadow Grey (#556465, 24.4% of the canvas), Soft Umber (#935A24, 12.5% of the canvas), Soft White (#E7E7E7, 3.8% of the canvas), Deep Red (#A34425, 1.3% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 80% of the light that hits it (LRV 80), 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.