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

Woman with a Book Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Woman with a Book by Jonas Welch Holman, 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 Linen on most walls, use Muted Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Yellow to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Jonas Welch Holman
Date: 1827–30
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

Woman with a Book by Jonas Welch Holman — Jonas Welch Holman, *Woman with a Book*, 1827–30. 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 Umber

#523F2F · 36.9% · LRV 6

Ink Umber

#322823 · 24.2% · LRV 2

Muted Linen

#A09887 · 22.9% · LRV 32

Pale Linen

#E5DEC4 · 10.3% · LRV 73

Warm Yellow

#B1961C · 4.5% · LRV 31

Deep Red

#8A342D · 1.3% · LRV 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Red is strongest — Deep 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
Deep Umber `#523F2F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Very close Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Very close Valspar 2011-10 Cabin Plank Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	6	Wood and frames
Ink Umber `#322823`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Close Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 1011-8 Antique Burgundy Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted Linen `#A09887`	Behr PPU8-20 Dusty Olive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9126 Honed Soapstone Very close Valspar 6005-2A Coastal Villa Close Farrow & Ball No. 25 Pigeon Close	32	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale Linen `#E5DEC4`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6406 Ionic Ivory Near-identical Behr 1823 Antique White 1823 Very close Valspar 6003-3A Spring Reflection Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2012 House White Close	73	Main walls
Warm Yellow `#B1961C`	Behr 370D-7 Venetian Gold Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6705 High Strung Very close Valspar 3008-5A Golden Avocado Similar	31	One bold piece
Deep Red `#8A342D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7600 Bolero Very close Behr S-H-200 New Brick Very close Valspar 1009-4 Cut Ruby Close Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar	8	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 linen 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#CBCABE

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

South-facing room#EBE0C3

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)#C4B08D

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 Deep Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Linen

Muted Linen

Warm Yellow

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

Rustic Bedroom Colors Rustic style

More palettes like this

Still Life—Strawberries, Nuts, &c. Raphaelle Peale, 1822

Icebound John Henry Twachtman, c. 1889

The Advance-Guard, or The Military Sacrifice (The Ambush) Frederic Remington, 1890

FAQ

What colors are in Woman with a Book?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#523F2F, 36.9% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#322823, 24.2% of the canvas), Muted Linen (#A09887, 22.9% of the canvas), Pale Linen (#E5DEC4, 10.3% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B1961C, 4.5% of the canvas), Deep Red (#8A342D, 1.3% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 73% of the light that hits it (LRV 73), 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.