North-facing room
#DCD1BENorth light is cooler and softer, so the pale warm cream can look slightly grayer. It still reads light and bright, and it keeps the room from feeling heavy.
17th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette
Portrait of a Man with a Watch Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette is built from the dark tones of Cornelis Jonson van Ceulen the Younger's 1657 oil painting Portrait of a Man with a Watch, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Near-black and deep blue-gray make up most of the canvas, with a few warm sand, brown and cream tones that carry the light.
Quick answer
Use the pale warm cream on the walls and the warm sandy tan as the main supporting color on large pieces. Save the deep slate and dark blue-gray for a door, trim or upholstery, and use the dark walnut brown for wood furniture.
- Date
- 1657
- Movement
- 17th-century Dutch painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 83
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 charcoal
Deep slate teal
Dark blue-gray
Warm sandy tan
Dark walnut brown
Pale warm cream
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.
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 charcoal#191818 |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Deep slate teal#2F3A3A |
|
4 | One bold piece |
Dark blue-gray#3E4F4F |
|
7 | One small textile |
Warm sandy tan#D0A887 |
|
43 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Dark walnut brown#7C593E |
|
12 | Wood and frames |
Pale warm cream#FFE8C5 |
|
83 | 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 warm 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.
South-facing room
#FFE8C4Strong south light makes the pale warm cream look brighter and more yellow. The warm sandy tan and dark walnut brown will look richer and more saturated.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2B68EWarm evening bulbs push the pale warm cream toward a creamier, softer tone. The dark blue-gray and slate will look deeper and more muted, so keep them away from low-light corners you want to stay open.
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.
Wood takes Dark walnut brown and the rug border takes Dark blue-gray in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale warm cream
Warm sandy tan
Deep slate teal
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
Can I paint a whole room in the near-black?
The near-black has a light reflectance value of 1, so it absorbs nearly all the light that hits it. Use it on one wall, a built-in or a small area. A whole room in this color needs strong, layered lighting to avoid feeling closed in.
Which colors work well with the dark walnut brown wood?
The pale warm cream on the walls gives the dark walnut brown enough contrast to stand out. The warm sandy tan works as a softer middle tone next to it. Both sit well with the wood's warm undertone.
How should I test these colors before I commit?
Paint a large sample board for each color and place it where it will hang or sit. Look at it in morning light, midday light and under your evening lamps before you decide. Small chips can look very different from full walls.
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.