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

Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Édouard Jean Vuillard's 1899 oil painting "Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods," held by The Art Institute of Chicago. Most of it is deep, warm yellows and browns, with a light butter yellow and a soft green for contrast, so it suits rooms that want warmth and a calm, earthy feel.

Quick answer

Use the light butter yellow (LRV 65) on the main walls. Bring in the deep wood tones for floors, trim, or furniture, and use the mustard gold as a small accent on a cushion or frame. The pale sage green works well on upholstery, and the warm golden yellow suits a single feature wall or cabinetry.

Artist: Édouard Jean Vuillard
Date: 1899
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods by Édouard Jean Vuillard — Édouard Jean Vuillard, *Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods*, 1899. 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 olive umber

#786A40 · 35.6% · LRV 15

Dark walnut ochre

#695631 · 30.8% · LRV 10

Burnished mustard gold

#A2862C · 13.6% · LRV 25

Soft butter yellow

#F1D078 · 9.2% · LRV 65

Pale sage green

#BFD299 · 8.2% · LRV 60

Warm golden yellow

#D6B137 · 2.6% · LRV 46

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.

Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Burnished mustard gold is strongest — Burnished mustard gold

Detail of the painting where Soft butter yellow is strongest — Soft butter yellow

Detail of the painting where Pale sage green is strongest — Pale sage green

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

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 olive umber `#786A40`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6412 Eminent Bronze Very close Behr N300-7 Mayan Ruins Close Valspar 6008-4C Valencia Moss Similar Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	15	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark walnut ochre `#695631`	Behr 300F-7 Centaur Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Close Valspar 6008-2C Prairie Foliage Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	10	Wood and frames
Burnished mustard gold `#A2862C`	Behr M300-6 Indian Spice Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6706 Offbeat Green Close Valspar 3007-5A Corduroy Similar	25	One bold piece
Soft butter yellow `#F1D078`	Behr 360D-4 Warm Glow Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 74 Citron Near-identical Valspar 3006-3C Amber Pearl Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9022 Yellow Bird Very close	65	Main walls
Pale sage green `#BFD299`	Behr S370-3 Sage Brush Very close Valspar 6005-7C Crocodile Smile Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6716 Dancing Green Close Farrow & Ball No. 32 Cooking Apple Green Similar	60	One small textile
Warm golden yellow `#D6B137`	Behr 370D-6 Golden Cricket Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6914 Eye Catching Very close Valspar 3008-3A Almond Puff Very close Farrow & Ball No. 223 Babouche Similar	46	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 soft butter yellow 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#D3C18D

In north light the butter yellow looks softer and a little cooler. It will read more muted than in the photo, so it suits a room where you want a gentle glow rather than a bright one.

South-facing room#F4D588

In strong south light the butter yellow turns bright and warm, and it reflects a lot of light back into the room. Keep the deep wood tones away from direct sun on large surfaces so they do not look heavy.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CAA862

Under warm evening bulbs the yellows deepen toward gold and the walls feel cozy. The sage green stays calm and keeps the palette from feeling too yellow after dark.

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 ochre and the rug border takes Pale sage green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft butter yellow

Warm golden yellow

Burnished mustard gold

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Landscape: Window Overlooking the Woods

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

East Facing Bedroom Colors That Work in Morning and Afternoon Light East-facing · Bedroom

Black Trim House Colors: Exterior Schemes That Work House exterior · Black

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Graziella Jules-Joseph Lefebvre, 1878

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Use the soft butter yellow, which has a light reflectance value of 65. It is light enough to brighten a room, and its warm undertone keeps the space inviting.

How do I keep a room with these colors from feeling too dark?

Keep the deepest tones, the olive umber and walnut ochre, to floors, trim, or a few pieces of furniture. Let the light butter yellow cover most of the walls so the room still reads light.

Can I use the sage green in a room with yellow walls?

Yes. The pale sage green has a green undertone, so it contrasts gently with the warm yellows. Use it on upholstery or textiles rather than large walls to keep the balance.

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.