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

Portrait of Philip IV Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Velázquez's Portrait of Philip IV, c. 1632, a workshop painting held by The Art Institute of Chicago. Most of the canvas is very dark warm brown, with a few mid tones of tan and soft gray, so the scheme suits rooms that want depth, warmth and a quiet, grounded mood.

Quick answer

Use the muted gray-green #9CA09C as the wall tone, lightened to #D4D8D4 on this page because the painting has no light tone. Set the mid tan #A4825D on larger furniture, keep the dark bronze #534022 for textiles, use the russet #7C502B for wood, and reserve the near-black #2F2817 for one or two accents.

Artist: Workshop of Diego Rodriguez de Velázquez
Date: c. 1632
Movement: 17th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

Portrait of Philip IV by Workshop of Diego Rodriguez de Velázquez — Workshop of Diego Rodriguez de Velázquez, *Portrait of Philip IV*, c. 1632. 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.

Near-Black Olive Brown

#2F2817 · 63.1% · LRV 2

Dark Bronze Brown

#534022 · 17.2% · LRV 6

Deep Olive Bronze

#695E3F · 8.4% · LRV 11

Muted Sage Gray

#9CA09C · 8.1% · LRV 35

Soft Camel Tan

#A4825D · 1.7% · LRV 25

Deep Russet Brown

#7C502B · 1.5% · LRV 10

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.

Portrait of Philip IV reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Near-Black Olive Brown is strongest — Near-Black Olive Brown

Detail of the painting where Dark Bronze Brown is strongest — Dark Bronze Brown

Detail of the painting where Deep Olive Bronze is strongest — Deep Olive Bronze

Detail of the painting where Muted Sage Gray is strongest — Muted Sage Gray

Detail of the painting where Soft Camel Tan is strongest — Soft Camel Tan

Detail of the painting where Deep Russet Brown is strongest — Deep Russet Brown

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
Near-Black Olive Brown `#2F2817`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Similar	2	One bold piece
Dark Bronze Brown `#534022`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Similar Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar	6	One small textile
Deep Olive Bronze `#695E3F`	Behr N300-7 Mayan Ruins Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Very close Valspar 6005-4C Summer's End Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	11	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted Sage Gray `#9CA09C`	Behr PPU11-16 Brampton Gray Very close Valspar 4008-1C Stone Mason Gray Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7660 Earl Grey Very close Farrow & Ball No. 265 Manor House Gray Very close	35	Main walls
Soft Camel Tan `#A4825D`	Behr BIC-44 Chamois Leather Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2814 Rookwood Antique Gold Very close Valspar 3003-7B Leather Satchel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	25	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Russet Brown `#7C502B`	Behr 260F-7 Caramel Latte Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Similar	10	Wood and frames

Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.

This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#D4D8D4).

How the lightest tone 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#C0C6C8

In north light, the wall color #D4D8D4 looks cooler and slightly grayer. The warm browns in the scheme will look richer by contrast.

South-facing room#DDDBCF

In strong south light, the wall color #D4D8D4 looks brighter and cleaner. Shadows on the warm browns will look deeper and more defined.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BAAD96

Under warm evening bulbs, the wall color #D4D8D4 picks up a softer, warmer cast. The tan and russet tones will glow, and the dark browns will feel cozy.

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 Russet Brown and the rug border takes Dark Bronze Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Muted Sage Gray

Soft Camel Tan

Near-Black Olive Brown

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 Paint Colors for Rooms, Measured From Paintings Dark

Modern Exterior House Colors and Color Schemes House exterior · Modern

More palettes like this

Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), probably 1624

Don Gaspar de Guzmán (1587–1645), Count-Duke of Olivares Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, ca. 1636 or later

Pietà Juan de Valdés Leal, ca. 1657–60

FAQ

Can I use the very dark color on a whole wall?

The near-black #2F2817 is the darkest color here, so it works best in small amounts. Use it on a door, a cabinet or one accent wall, and keep the lighter tones around it so the room does not feel closed in.

Which color should I start with?

Start with the wall color #D4D8D4, since it is the lightest tone and sets the base for the room. Then add the mid tan #A4825D on larger furniture so the room has a warm anchor.

How do I add the russet wood tone without making the room too heavy?

Use #7C502B on wood items such as a table, a frame or flooring, and balance it with the lighter wall. Keep the dark bronze #534022 to textiles like pillows or throws so the wood does not carry the whole room.

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.