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

Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook) by Erastus Salisbury Field, 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 Grey for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Red to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Erastus Salisbury Field
Date: 1838
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 70

Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook) by Erastus Salisbury Field — Erastus Salisbury Field, *Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook)*, 1838. 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.

Soft Black

#2F2A24 · 56% · LRV 2

Deep Umber

#74674F · 15.4% · LRV 14

Light Grey

#B1B1AC · 12.5% · LRV 44

Deep Red

#65382B · 8.4% · LRV 6

Pale Yellow

#FDD3A9 · 4.9% · LRV 70

Soft Red

#A44E42 · 2.8% · LRV 14

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.

Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft Black is strongest — Soft Black

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Red is strongest — Soft Red

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 `#2F2A24`	Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6990 Caviar Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber `#74674F`	Valspar 6009-4 Moss Mulch Very close Behr N230-6 Whiskey Barrel Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2843 Roycroft Brass Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	14	Wood and frames
Light Grey `#B1B1AC`	Farrow & Ball No. 88 Lamp Room Gray Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7658 Gray Clouds Very close Behr UL260-9 Ashes Very close Valspar 5007-1C Coastal Jetty Very close	44	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Red `#65382B`	Behr S200-7 Earth Fired Red Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6048 Terra Brun Close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	6	One bold piece
Pale Yellow `#FDD3A9`	Valspar 2008-4B Honey Pecan Very close Behr P220-3 Tropical Fruit Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6652 Flan Close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Similar	70	Main walls
Soft Red `#A44E42`	Behr 220D-7 Mojave Sunset Very close Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6327 Bold Brick Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Close	14	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#DAC3AC

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

South-facing room#FDD7AE

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)#D1AA7E

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 Soft Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Light Grey

Deep Red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook)

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

The Annunciation George Hitchcock, 1887

On the Seine Homer Dodge Martin, c. 1895

Phebe Russell Swain Welch Sheldon Peck, c. 1837

FAQ

What colors are in Woman with a Green Book (Louisa Gallond Cook)?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#2F2A24, 56% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#74674F, 15.4% of the canvas), Light Grey (#B1B1AC, 12.5% of the canvas), Deep Red (#65382B, 8.4% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FDD3A9, 4.9% of the canvas), Soft Red (#A44E42, 2.8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 70% of the light that hits it (LRV 70), 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.