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

Phebe Russell Swain Welch Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Phebe Russell Swain Welch by Sheldon Peck, 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 Muted Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Soft Black to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Ochre works best in a single textile.

Artist: Sheldon Peck
Date: c. 1837
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Phebe Russell Swain Welch by Sheldon Peck — Sheldon Peck, *Phebe Russell Swain Welch*, c. 1837. 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.

Soft Black

#25201E · 52.4% · LRV 2

Muted Linen

#A89F96 · 21.4% · LRV 35

Ink Grey

#37322D · 15.5% · LRV 3

Pale Yellow

#FFDBBC · 6.1% · LRV 76

Light Ochre

#D5A38A · 3.4% · LRV 42

Warm Ochre

#AE826E · 1.2% · LRV 26

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.

Phebe Russell Swain Welch reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft Black is strongest — Soft Black

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Ochre is strongest — Warm 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
Soft Black `#25201E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	One bold piece
Muted Linen `#A89F96`	Behr MQ2-56 Abbey Stone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7024 Functional Gray Very close Valspar 6005-2A Coastal Villa Very close Farrow & Ball No. 243 Charleston Gray Close	35	Bed, sofa, curtains
Ink Grey `#37322D`	Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Very close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6991 Black Magic Close Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Yellow `#FFDBBC`	Behr P220-2 Peche Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6638 Flattering Peach Very close Valspar 2006-4C Peach Champagne Close Farrow & Ball No. 202 Pink Ground Similar	76	Main walls
Light Ochre `#D5A38A`	Behr MQ1-30 Peachy Confection Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 69 Rose Tan Very close Valspar 2003-8A Arizona Dust Close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	42	One small textile
Warm Ochre `#AE826E`	Behr S200-5 Minestrone Very close Valspar 2004-7B Mocha Java Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2804 Renwick Rose Beige Close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Similar	26	Small accents, art, accessories

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#DCC9B9

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

South-facing room#FFDDBD

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)#D2AF89

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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Light Ochre in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Muted Linen

Soft Black

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Phebe Russell Swain Welch

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

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A Marine George Inness, c. 1874–75

After a Summer Shower George Inness, 1894

FAQ

What colors are in Phebe Russell Swain Welch?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#25201E, 52.4% of the canvas), Muted Linen (#A89F96, 21.4% of the canvas), Ink Grey (#37322D, 15.5% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFDBBC, 6.1% of the canvas), Light Ochre (#D5A38A, 3.4% of the canvas), Warm Ochre (#AE826E, 1.2% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 76% of the light that hits it (LRV 76), 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.