19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette

The Road to Market Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from Constant Troyon's 1858–59 painting The Road to Market, held at The Art Institute of Chicago. It runs from deep roasted browns to a pale wheat cream, all with a warm yellow undertone, so it suits rooms that should feel earthy, settled, and cozy.

Quick answer

Use the pale wheat cream #F4DEB3 on the walls, which carries most of the light. Use the dark walnut brown #624926 for wood tones, and the very dark roasted umber #47341D only as a small accent, such as a door or built-in.

Artist: Constant Troyon
Date: 1858–59
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 75

The Road to Market by Constant Troyon — Constant Troyon, *The Road to Market*, 1858–59. 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.

Deep roasted umber

#47341D · 39.1% · LRV 4

Dark walnut brown

#624926 · 21.9% · LRV 8

Pale wheat cream

#F4DEB3 · 19.6% · LRV 75

Burnished ochre brown

#96733E · 9.8% · LRV 19

Muted sandy taupe

#B2A685 · 7.9% · LRV 38

Warm golden tan

#C6A162 · 1.7% · LRV 38

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 Road to Market reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep roasted umber is strongest — Deep roasted umber

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

Detail of the painting where Pale wheat cream is strongest — Pale wheat cream

Detail of the painting where Burnished ochre brown is strongest — Burnished ochre brown

Detail of the painting where Muted sandy taupe is strongest — Muted sandy taupe

Detail of the painting where Warm golden tan is strongest — Warm golden tan

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 roasted umber `#47341D`	Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Similar	4	One bold piece
Dark walnut brown `#624926`	Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9115 Cowboy Boots Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	8	Wood and frames
Pale wheat cream `#F4DEB3`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6673 Banana Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Very close Behr PPU6-12 Calla Very close Valspar 3006-6B Shoreline Very close	75	Main walls
Burnished ochre brown `#96733E`	Behr 270F-6 Fudge Truffle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6398 Sconce Gold Close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Close	19	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted sandy taupe `#B2A685`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7736 Garden Sage Near-identical Behr 710D-4 Harvest Brown Very close Valspar 6008-4A Dry Earth Close Farrow & Ball No. 75 Ball Green Close	38	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm golden tan `#C6A162`	Behr PPU6-17 Classic Gold Very close Valspar 3005-7B Antelope Hide Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6402 Antiquity Close	38	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 wheat 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#D5CAB2

North light is cooler and softer, so the pale wheat cream can look a little flatter and grayer. Its warm undertone helps it stay inviting. Check a large sample before committing.

South-facing room#F6E0B6

Strong south light brings out the cream and can make the wall look bright and creamy. The warm undertone may look more pronounced, so judge it on a sunny day before you paint the whole room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CCB084

Under warm evening bulbs, the pale wheat cream takes on a honey glow and the browns look richer. This is the lighting where the palette feels most like the painting.

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 Dark walnut brown and the rug border takes Warm golden tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale wheat cream

Muted sandy taupe

Deep roasted umber

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

Dark Grey Siding: Four Exterior Schemes From Paintings House exterior · Dark grey

More palettes like this

By the Seashore Auguste Renoir, 1883

Portraits at the Stock Exchange Edgar Degas, ca. 1878–79

Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress Paul Cézanne, 1888–90

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Use the pale wheat cream #F4DEB3 on the walls. It has a light reflectance value of 75, so it bounces light around the room and keeps a dark palette from feeling heavy.

Can I use the darkest color in a room?

Yes, but keep it small. The very dark roasted umber #47341D has a light reflectance value of 4, so it works best as an accent on a door, trim, or a single built-in rather than a full wall.

How do I check these colors before painting?

Paint sample patches on the wall you plan to use, then look at them in morning, midday, and evening light. Compare them against the hex values here, since screens and printed paper can shift how a color looks.

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.