17th-century Spanish painting · art-to-room palette

Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain by Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), 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 Pale Ochre on most walls, use Warm Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Umber to one bold piece. Shadow Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Ink Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez)
Date: probably 1624
Movement: 17th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 88

Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain by Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez) — Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), *Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain*, probably 1624. 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 Black

#292623 · 51.9% · LRV 2

Shadow Umber

#63594D · 18.5% · LRV 10

Deep Umber

#473E33 · 17.9% · LRV 5

Warm Linen

#7A6F5D · 8.7% · LRV 16

Ink Umber

#482B2A · 1.8% · LRV 3

Pale Ochre

#FFF0D5 · 1.2% · LRV 88

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.

Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Pale Ochre is strongest — Pale Ochre

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 Black `#292623`	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
Shadow Umber `#63594D`	Valspar 6006-2C Roasted Sepia Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7054 Suitable Brown Very close Behr 760B-6 Traditional Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	10	Wood and frames
Deep Umber `#473E33`	Behr UL140-1 French Roast Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7675 Sealskin Close Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	5	One bold piece
Warm Linen `#7A6F5D`	Valspar 6007-2C Olive Sawdust Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6159 High Tea Very close Behr N230-6 Whiskey Barrel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	16	Bed, sofa, curtains
Ink Umber `#482B2A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2801 Rookwood Dark Red Very close Behr S-G-740 Brown Eyes Close Valspar 1011-6 Ancient Burgundy Similar Farrow & Ball No. 222 Brinjal Similar	3	One small textile
Pale Ochre `#FFF0D5`	Behr M270-1 Pearly White Near-identical Valspar 7002-24 Basket Very close Farrow & Ball No. 59 New White Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6672 Morning Sun Very close	88	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 pale ochre 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#DCD5C9

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

South-facing room#FFEED0

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)#D2BA97

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 Shadow Umber and the rug border takes Ink Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Ochre

Warm Linen

Deep Umber

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain

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

More palettes like this

Pietà Juan de Valdés Leal, ca. 1657–60

The Young Virgin Francisco de Zurbarán, ca. 1632–33

Man in Armour Antonio Puga, 17th century

FAQ

What colors are in Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#292623, 51.9% of the canvas), Shadow Umber (#63594D, 18.5% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#473E33, 17.9% of the canvas), Warm Linen (#7A6F5D, 8.7% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#482B2A, 1.8% of the canvas), Pale Ochre (#FFF0D5, 1.2% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 88% of the light that hits it (LRV 88), 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.