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

Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton) by Ammi Phillips, 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 Light Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Shadow Grey to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: Ammi Phillips
Date: 1821–22
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 66

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

Shadow Grey

#5B5856 · 48.9% · LRV 10

Ink Grey

#3A3A39 · 33.9% · LRV 4

Pale Linen

#E5D1C2 · 8.8% · LRV 66

Light Linen

#D4BAAB · 4.7% · LRV 52

Warm Linen

#B89488 · 2.9% · LRV 33

Light Yellow

#DDBA7F · 0.8% · LRV 52

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.

Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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 Light Yellow is strongest — Light 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
Shadow Grey `#5B5856`	Behr MQ2-62 Peppery Near-identical Valspar 4004-2C Ebony Field Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7674 Peppercorn Very close Farrow & Ball No. 255 Tanner's Brown Similar	10	One bold piece
Ink Grey `#3A3A39`	Behr QE-64 Madison Avenue Very close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6994 Greenblack Very close Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Close	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Linen `#E5D1C2`	Behr MQ3-37 Soft Shoe Near-identical Valspar 1001-10B March Ice Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7711 Pueblo Very close Farrow & Ball No. 202 Pink Ground Very close	66	Main walls
Light Linen `#D4BAAB`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6058 Likeable Sand Near-identical Valspar 2006-8B Pacific Shoreline Very close Behr MQ2-36 Elusive Dawn Very close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Close	52	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Linen `#B89488`	Behr S190-4 Spiced Brandy Near-identical Valspar 1008-9C Western Ridge Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9081 Redend Point Close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	33	Small accents, art, accessories
Light Yellow `#DDBA7F`	Behr M280-4 Royal Gold Very close Valspar 3007-5C Harpswell Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7685 White Raisin Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Very close	52	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#CBC1BD

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

South-facing room#EBD6C1

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)#C4A98C

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 Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Linen

Light Linen

Shadow Grey

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton)

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

Gray and White Bedroom Walls: Shades and Accent Colors Grey · Bedroom

Dining Room Paint Colors Dining room

More palettes like this

Capture of the Tripoli by the Enterprise Thomas Birch, 1806–12

Elaine Toby Edward Rosenthal, 1874

The Home of the Heron George Inness, 1893

FAQ

What colors are in Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton)?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Shadow Grey (#5B5856, 48.9% of the canvas), Ink Grey (#3A3A39, 33.9% of the canvas), Pale Linen (#E5D1C2, 8.8% of the canvas), Light Linen (#D4BAAB, 4.7% of the canvas), Warm Linen (#B89488, 2.9% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#DDBA7F, 0.8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 66% of the light that hits it (LRV 66), 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.