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

Portrait of a Woman Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Portrait of a Woman by Charles Cottet, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Light Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Umber to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: Charles Cottet
Date: c. 1900
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Portrait of a Woman by Charles Cottet — Charles Cottet, *Portrait of a Woman*, c. 1900. 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.

Ink Umber

#322C1F · 31.2% · LRV 3

Deep Umber

#5F4C2A · 25.6% · LRV 8

Light Yellow

#CAB081 · 16.3% · LRV 45

Warm Umber

#99753B · 12.5% · LRV 20

Pale Yellow

#FCDEA7 · 7.6% · LRV 76

Warm Yellow

#9C8C6B · 6.7% · LRV 27

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 a Woman reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Light Yellow is strongest — Light Yellow

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

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm 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
Ink Umber `#322C1F`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber `#5F4C2A`	Behr 300F-7 Centaur Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	8	Wood and frames
Light Yellow `#CAB081`	Behr PPU6-16 Cup Of Tea Very close Valspar 3007-8A Tweed Jacket Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6408 Wheat Grass Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	45	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Umber `#99753B`	Behr 270F-6 Fudge Truffle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6398 Sconce Gold Close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Close	20	One bold piece
Pale Yellow `#FCDEA7`	Valspar 3004-4B Charm Bracelet Near-identical Behr BXC-31 Midsummer Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9016 La Luna Amarilla Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Very close	76	Main walls
Warm Yellow `#9C8C6B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2815 Renwick Olive Very close Behr N260-5 Distant Land Very close Valspar 6008-4B Caraway Shield Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	27	One small textile

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 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#DACAAB

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#FDE0AC

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D0B07D

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 Umber and the rug border takes Warm Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Light Yellow

Warm Umber

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

City Loft Color Palette Industrial style

More palettes like this

View of Saleve, near Geneva Théodore Rousseau, 1834

Bathers Paul Cézanne, 1874–75

Branch of the Seine near Giverny (Mist) Claude Monet, 1897

FAQ

What colors are in Portrait of a Woman?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Ink Umber (#322C1F, 31.2% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#5F4C2A, 25.6% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#CAB081, 16.3% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#99753B, 12.5% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FCDEA7, 7.6% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#9C8C6B, 6.7% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 76% of the light that hits it (LRV 76), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.