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

Portrait of a Woman Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Portrait of a Woman by Anna Claypoole Peale, 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 Shadow Umber to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: Anna Claypoole Peale
Date: 1818
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 78

Portrait of a Woman by Anna Claypoole Peale — Anna Claypoole Peale, *Portrait of a Woman*, 1818. 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 Grey

#A7A7A7 · 57.4% · LRV 39

Shadow Umber

#484233 · 24.8% · LRV 6

Light Yellow

#DAA868 · 5.6% · LRV 44

Muted Blue

#9BA0AF · 5.3% · LRV 35

Deep Umber

#825A31 · 5.1% · LRV 12

Pale Yellow

#FFE0B2 · 1.9% · LRV 78

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.

Portrait of a Woman reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Grey `#A7A7A7`	Behr UL260-7 Cathedral Grey Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7659 Gris Very close Valspar 4004-1C Hazy Stratus Close Farrow & Ball No. 265 Manor House Gray Close	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Shadow Umber `#484233`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Close Valspar 6010-3 Olive Suede Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	6	One bold piece
Light Yellow `#DAA868`	Valspar 3004-5B Safari Sun Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6381 Anjou Pear Very close Behr M250-4 Cake Spice Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close	44	One small textile
Muted Blue `#9BA0AF`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6542 Vesper Violet Very close Behr PPU15-11 Great Falls Very close Valspar 4004-3C Acier Tint Very close Farrow & Ball No. 89 Lulworth Blue Similar	35	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Umber `#825A31`	Behr 260F-7 Caramel Latte Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Valspar 2008-7A Natural Cork Similar	12	Wood and frames
Pale Yellow `#FFE0B2`	Valspar 3002-4B Apricot Mousse Very close Behr P240-2 Peach Glow Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6666 Enjoyable Yellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	78	Main walls

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#DCCBB2

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

South-facing room#FFE1B5

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)#D2B183

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 Light Yellow 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

Shadow Umber

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

White Paint With a Hint of Grey White

Contemporary Living Room Color Schemes Modern style

Coastal Exterior Paint Schemes House exterior · Coastal

More palettes like this

View of Cotopaxi Frederic Edwin Church, 1857

Phebe Russell Swain Welch Sheldon Peck, c. 1837

Landscape with Dog Thomas Doughty, 1832

FAQ

What colors are in Portrait of a Woman?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Grey (#A7A7A7, 57.4% of the canvas), Shadow Umber (#484233, 24.8% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#DAA868, 5.6% of the canvas), Muted Blue (#9BA0AF, 5.3% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#825A31, 5.1% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFE0B2, 1.9% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 78% of the light that hits it (LRV 78), 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.