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

Arab Warrior Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is measured from Horace Vernet's painting of an Arab warrior. It is an earthy mix of olive-brown, sand and amber, suited to a den, dining room or entry with natural materials.

Quick answer

Paint the walls #E1C790 and use #C58C4D for the main furniture or leather. Add #635840 as a wood tone and #723821 as a small accent.

Artist: Horace Vernet
Date: ca. 1817–22
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 59

Arab Warrior by Horace Vernet — Horace Vernet, *Arab Warrior*, ca. 1817–22. 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.

Olive Brown

#635840 · 31.4% · LRV 10

Deep Umber

#4E4735 · 24.9% · LRV 6

Dark Walnut Black

#261B13 · 24.4% · LRV 1

Pale Straw

#E1C790 · 8% · LRV 59

Amber Tan

#C58C4D · 7% · LRV 31

Brick Brown

#723821 · 4.2% · LRV 7

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.

Arab Warrior reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Olive Brown is strongest — Olive Brown

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

Detail of the painting where Dark Walnut Black is strongest — Dark Walnut Black

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

Detail of the painting where Amber Tan is strongest — Amber Tan

Detail of the painting where Brick Brown is strongest — Brick 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
Olive Brown `#635840`	Behr PPU7-01 Moss Stone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6160 Best Bronze Close Valspar 6010-4 Amazon Silt Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Deep Umber `#4E4735`	Behr S-H-720 Volcanic Island Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7055 Enduring Bronze Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Close Farrow & Ball No. 255 Tanner's Brown Similar	6	One small textile
Dark Walnut Black `#261B13`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Similar Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Straw `#E1C790`	Behr 310E-3 Ripe Wheat Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Very close Valspar 3007-6A Honeysuckle Beige Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9027 Pale Moss Very close	59	Main walls
Amber Tan `#C58C4D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6369 Tassel Very close Behr UL150-1 Golden Leaf Very close Valspar 3010-5 Fancy Suede Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	31	Bed, sofa, curtains
Brick Brown `#723821`	Behr 230F-7 Florence Brown Close Sherwin-Williams SW 2839 Roycroft Copper Red Close Valspar 2011-6 Cowboy Suede Similar	7	One bold piece

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 straw 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#C9BC9C

In north light, #E1C790 holds its warmth and keeps the room from looking dull. Its LRV of 59 gives a medium-light result.

South-facing room#E8CE9A

Strong south light brightens #E1C790 toward a soft yellow. A slightly deeper sample may look more balanced in a sunny room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C1A370

Under warm bulbs the amber and brick tones glow, while #4E4735 and #261B13 fade into the background.

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 Olive Brown and the rug border takes Deep Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Straw

Amber Tan

Brick 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

More palettes like this

Diana Narcisse-Virgile Diaz de la Peña, 1849

The Child's Bath Mary Cassatt, 1893

Seated Peasant Paul Cézanne, ca. 1892–96

FAQ

Is this palette too dark for walls?

Only the light #E1C790 is meant for walls. The dark colors, with LRVs between 1 and 10, work for furniture, trim or a single accent.

What metals suit these colors?

Aged brass and bronze match the amber and olive tones. Bright chrome tends to look cold against this warm palette.

How do I keep the room from feeling heavy?

Keep the walls light and let the dark colors appear in small amounts. A cream ceiling also helps bounce light around.

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.