North-facing room
#CDCCBDThe cream #E9E1C2 has an LRV of 75, so it helps a north-facing room feel brighter, and its yellow undertone offsets the cool daylight.
19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette
Madame Thadée Natanson (Misia Godebska, 1872–1950) at the Theater Color Palette & Paint Colors
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted Madame Thadée Natanson at the Theater in 1895 on cardboard, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it. The palette is a layered group of warm tans with one violet, so it suits a calm living room or a bedroom with natural materials.
Quick answer
Use the cream #E9E1C2 on the walls, the light tan #C5B191 for sofas or curtains, and the violet-gray #6E6A85 as a small accent in a pillow or a throw.
- Date
- 1895
- Movement
- 19th-century French painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 75
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.
Cardboard Sand
Soft Camel
Mushroom Tan
Taupe Olive
Pale Ivory Cream
Dusk Violet Gray
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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Cardboard Sand#C5B191 |
|
45 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Soft Camel#B6A080 |
|
37 | One small textile |
Mushroom Tan#A28C6B |
|
28 | One bold piece |
Taupe Olive#837968 |
|
20 | Wood and frames |
Pale Ivory Cream#E9E1C2 |
|
75 | Main walls |
Dusk Violet Gray#6E6A85 |
|
15 | Small accents, art, accessories |
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 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.
South-facing room
#EEE2C1In strong south light the tans #C5B191 and #B6A080 look close to each other, and the room reads as a quiet, even beige scheme.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#C5B28CUnder warm evening bulbs the tans glow and the violet-gray #6E6A85 stands out, which makes it a useful cool contrast in the evening.
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.
Wood takes Taupe Olive and the rug border takes Soft Camel in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale Ivory Cream
Cardboard Sand
Mushroom Tan
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
These tans look similar. How do I tell them apart?
Compare their LRVs: 45, 37, 28 and 19. Use the lightest on large areas and the darkest on small pieces such as a table or a frame.
Where should the violet go?
The violet-gray #6E6A85 has an LRV of 15 and covers only 2.5 percent of the painting. Use it sparingly in a cushion, a lampshade or a vase.
Is this palette too plain?
It is quiet by design. Add interest through texture, such as linen, wool, rattan and matte ceramics, since the colors themselves are close in tone.
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.