The possibility of employing a colorimeter of the distance type for measuring the color characteristics of painted art works is shown. The colorimeter makes it possible to determine the chromaticity coordinates x and y and the luminous reflectance Y (%). The object can be at the distance of 150 millimeters from the head of the colorimeter and farther, the minimum diameter of the part measured being one millimeter. In measuring the color characteristics of a picture painted in oil, the chromaticity coordinates repeatability obtained was ± 0.002 and that of the luminous reflectance 1064%. The colorimeter was used for measuring the color characteristics of the samples from the Middle Asian wall paintings and for estimating the changes of these characteristics in restoration work. It was also applied to check the effect of thedisinfection treatment with methyl bromide on paints.