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

For Sunday's Dinner Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from William Michael Harnett's 1888 oil painting "For Sunday's Dinner" at The Art Institute of Chicago. It pairs a pale butter cream with honey browns and deep, near-black neutrals, so it suits rooms that need warmth and depth together.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream #F0D597 on the walls, with the light ochre #D8B276 as the main color on large surfaces. Bring in the honey brown #967A59 for wood, the deep umber #574D3E as an accent, and the near-black tones for textiles like rugs, curtains, and upholstery.

Artist: William Michael Harnett
Date: 1888
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

For Sunday's Dinner by William Michael Harnett — William Michael Harnett, *For Sunday's Dinner*, 1888. 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 charcoal black

#2B2927 · 46% · LRV 2

Smoky near-black

#302F2B · 38.5% · LRV 3

Deep umber brown

#574D3E · 6.7% · LRV 8

Pale butter cream

#F0D597 · 3.8% · LRV 68

Mid honey brown

#967A59 · 2.9% · LRV 21

Light golden ochre

#D8B276 · 2.1% · LRV 48

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.

For Sunday's Dinner reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep charcoal black is strongest — Deep charcoal black

Detail of the painting where Smoky near-black is strongest — Smoky near-black

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

Detail of the painting where Pale butter cream is strongest — Pale butter cream

Detail of the painting where Mid honey brown is strongest — Mid honey brown

Detail of the painting where Light golden ochre is strongest — Light golden ochre

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 charcoal black `#2B2927`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Smoky near-black `#302F2B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	3	One small textile
Deep umber brown `#574D3E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7055 Enduring Bronze Near-identical Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Very close Behr QE-32 Treemoss Very close Farrow & Ball No. 255 Tanner's Brown Similar	8	One bold piece
Pale butter cream `#F0D597`	Behr 340C-3 Pismo Dunes Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6896 Solé Very close Valspar 3007-6A Honeysuckle Beige Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Very close	68	Main walls
Mid honey brown `#967A59`	Behr BXC-08 Safari Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6124 Cardboard Very close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	21	Wood and frames
Light golden ochre `#D8B276`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9026 Tarnished Trumpet Near-identical Behr UL180-22 Egyptian Temple Near-identical Valspar 3005-5C Ambitious Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	48	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 pale butter 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.

North-facing room#D2C4A1

In north light, the cream wall will look softer and a little cooler. Its LRV of 68 still bounces light, so it stays open in a room that gets little sun.

South-facing room#F3D9A0

In strong south light, the cream wall will look bright and warm. It may read close to white at midday, so test a large sample before committing.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CAAB74

Under warm evening bulbs, the yellow undertone in the cream and ochre will strengthen. The walls will look richer and more golden, and the dark textiles will feel cozy rather than heavy.

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 Mid honey brown and the rug border takes Smoky near-black in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale butter cream

Light golden ochre

Deep umber brown

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

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FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Use the pale butter cream #F0D597 on the walls. It is the lightest color in the palette, with an LRV of 68, so it keeps a room feeling open and bright.

Can I use the dark colors in a small room?

Keep the near-blacks to textiles and small pieces in a small room, such as a rug, a cushion, or a curtain. Use them in limited amounts so the room still feels open.

How do I balance the browns with the cream and ochre?

Let the cream and light ochre do most of the work on walls and large surfaces. Use the honey brown for wood and the deep umber as a smaller accent, so the browns add depth without crowding the room.

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.