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

Mount Washington Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Winslow Homer's 1869 oil painting "Mount Washington," held by the Art Institute of Chicago. Its muted sage, olive, and umber tones suit rooms that want a calm, earthy base with warm contrast.

Quick answer

Use the sage gray on the main walls, parchment on the ceiling or trim, and olive bronze for wood pieces. Keep the rust brown to one accent and bring in camel for textiles.

Artist: Winslow Homer
Date: 1869
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 77

Mount Washington by Winslow Homer — Winslow Homer, *Mount Washington*, 1869. 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.

Weathered sage gray

#A5A28F · 40.4% · LRV 36

Deep olive bronze

#736C51 · 29.4% · LRV 15

Smoky umber charcoal

#585347 · 20.8% · LRV 9

Warm parchment white

#E9E3CB · 4.2% · LRV 77

Rust clay brown

#81503B · 3.9% · LRV 11

Soft camel tan

#B99164 · 1.3% · LRV 32

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Weathered sage gray is strongest — Weathered sage gray

Detail of the painting where Deep olive bronze is strongest — Deep olive bronze

Detail of the painting where Smoky umber charcoal is strongest — Smoky umber charcoal

Detail of the painting where Warm parchment white is strongest — Warm parchment white

Detail of the painting where Rust clay brown is strongest — Rust clay brown

Detail of the painting where Soft camel tan is strongest — Soft camel tan

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
Weathered sage gray `#A5A28F`	Behr BXC-10 Warm Stone Very close Farrow & Ball No. 25 Pigeon Close Valspar 6002-2A Tornado Watch Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9127 At Ease Soldier Close	36	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep olive bronze `#736C51`	Behr BXC-05 Mudslide Very close Valspar 6006-4C City Arboretum Close Sherwin-Williams SW 2851 Sage Green Light Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	15	Wood and frames
Smoky umber charcoal `#585347`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2846 Roycroft Bronze Green Very close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Very close Behr N210-6 Swiss Brown Very close Farrow & Ball No. 255 Tanner's Brown Similar	9	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm parchment white `#E9E3CB`	Behr 1823 Antique White 1823 Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6413 Restoration Ivory Very close Valspar 6007-3A Ginger Sugar Very close Farrow & Ball No. 1 Lime White Close	77	Main walls
Rust clay brown `#81503B`	Valspar 2010-6 Burnt Caramel Close Behr 240F-6 Sable Brown Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	11	One bold piece
Soft camel tan `#B99164`	Valspar 3003-7C Corner Café Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6123 Baguette Very close Behr S260-5 Almond Roca Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	32	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 warm parchment white 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#CDCDC2

In north light, the sage wall (LRV 36) will look cooler and grayer than the swatch. If the room feels dim, the parchment (LRV 77) is the safer choice for walls.

South-facing room#EEE4C8

In strong south light, the sage wall will look warmer and softer, and its yellow undertone will show more. Parchment will look bright and may need a shade lighter on the ceiling so the room does not feel washed out.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5B391

Under warm evening bulbs, the sage and camel will look golden and cozy. The rust brown and umber will deepen, so keep those for a single accent wall or furniture rather than large surfaces.

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 olive bronze and the rug border takes Soft camel tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Warm parchment white

Weathered sage gray

Rust clay 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

Green Bathroom Paint Colors Taken from Paintings Green · Bathroom

Green Kitchen Paint Colors and What to Pair Them With Green · Kitchen

Modern Bedroom Colors and Color Combinations Modern style

More palettes like this

Magnolias on Light Blue Velvet Cloth Martin Johnson Heade, 1885–95

York Harbor, Coast of Maine Martin Johnson Heade, 1877

New England Scenery Thomas Cole, 1839

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the sage gray?

You can. At LRV 36 it is a mid-tone, so it reads as a solid, grounded wall without feeling dark. Pair it with parchment on the trim or ceiling so the room keeps some lightness.

What if my room gets very little natural light?

Choose the parchment (LRV 77) for the walls. It reflects light and keeps a small or dim room from feeling closed in. Add the olive bronze in furniture or frames for depth.

How can I use these colors without repainting?

Start with textiles. The camel tan (LRV 31) works well in throws and pillows, and the rust brown suits a single vase, rug, or cushion. Olive bronze wood pieces, such as a side table or frame, bring in the darker part of the palette.

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.