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

York Harbor, Coast of Maine Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from York Harbor, Coast of Maine by Martin Johnson Heade, 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 Light Yellow on most walls, use Light Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Linen to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Martin Johnson Heade
Date: 1877
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 51

York Harbor, Coast of Maine by Martin Johnson Heade — Martin Johnson Heade, *York Harbor, Coast of Maine*, 1877. 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.

Light Linen

#B9AC94 · 41.5% · LRV 42

Warm Linen

#83785F · 27.8% · LRV 19

Deep Umber

#664A19 · 13.9% · LRV 8

Light Yellow

#CFBB9A · 13.4% · LRV 51

Deep Olive

#6D6917 · 2.4% · LRV 13

Warm Umber

#8E6312 · 1% · LRV 15

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.

York Harbor, Coast of Maine reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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 Deep Olive is strongest — Deep Olive

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

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
Light Linen `#B9AC94`	Behr UL170-19 Nile Sand Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7543 Avenue Tan Very close Valspar 3007-10A Wetland Clay Very close Farrow & Ball No. 17 Light Gray Close	42	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Linen `#83785F`	Behr PPU8-24 Deserted Island Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7740 Messenger Bag Very close Valspar 5008-2B Ironclad Close Farrow & Ball No. 292 Treron Similar	19	One bold piece
Deep Umber `#664A19`	Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Similar	8	Wood and frames
Light Yellow `#CFBB9A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9120 Tumblin' Tumbleweed Near-identical Behr MQ2-22 Hayloft Very close Valspar 3006-10A Prairie Dance Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Very close	51	Main walls
Deep Olive `#6D6917`	Behr S-H-390 Italian Olive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6419 Saguaro Similar	13	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Umber `#8E6312`	Behr 310F-7 Carmel Woods Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6398 Sconce Gold Similar Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar	15	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 light 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#BDB3A3

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

South-facing room#DAC4A2

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)#B79C76

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 Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Yellow

Light Linen

Warm Linen

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for York Harbor, Coast of Maine

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

Beach Paint Colors for Living Room Coastal style

Boho Room Paint Colors: A Warm Palette of Gold, Clay and Sand Boho style

More palettes like this

Mr. Benjamin Schaum Jacob Eichholtz, 1808–10

Bar-room Scene William Sidney Mount, 1835

Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton) Ammi Phillips, 1821–22

FAQ

What colors are in York Harbor, Coast of Maine?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Linen (#B9AC94, 41.5% of the canvas), Warm Linen (#83785F, 27.8% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#664A19, 13.9% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#CFBB9A, 13.4% of the canvas), Deep Olive (#6D6917, 2.4% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#8E6312, 1% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Use it with care. The lightest wall color in this painting has an LRV of about 51, so in a small room pair it with plenty of daylight or a lighter white on the ceiling.

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.