18th-century American painting · art-to-room palette

Portrait of Augustine Taylor Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Portrait of Augustine Taylor by John Ramage, 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 Light Yellow on most walls, use Light Grey for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Muted Linen to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Yellow works best in a single textile.

Artist: John Ramage
Date: 1777–94
Movement: 18th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

Portrait of Augustine Taylor by John Ramage — John Ramage, *Portrait of Augustine Taylor*, 1777–94. 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

#AAA8A6 · 34.4% · LRV 39

Muted Linen

#7D776A · 27.6% · LRV 19

Light Yellow

#E4D1B1 · 12% · LRV 65

Shadow Grey

#383C3C · 10.7% · LRV 4

Warm Yellow

#B99B79 · 10.7% · LRV 35

Deep Umber

#665233 · 4.6% · LRV 9

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 Augustine Taylor 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 Muted Linen is strongest — Muted Linen

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

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

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

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

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 `#AAA8A6`	Behr UL260-7 Cathedral Grey Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6003 Proper Gray Very close Valspar 4003-1C Rocky Bluffs Very close Farrow & Ball No. 265 Manor House Gray Close	39	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted Linen `#7D776A`	Behr QE-38 Rooftop Garden Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7046 Anonymous Very close Valspar 6003-2B Empire Very close Farrow & Ball No. 276 Mole's Breath Similar	19	One bold piece
Light Yellow `#E4D1B1`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6134 Netsuke Near-identical Behr UL180-18 Yellowstone Very close Farrow & Ball No. 8 String Very close Valspar 3006-10B Classic Buff Very close	65	Main walls
Shadow Grey `#383C3C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6994 Greenblack Near-identical Behr QE-64 Madison Avenue Very close Valspar 5011-1 Nocturnal Green Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#B99B79`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9104 Woven Wicker Very close Behr MQ2-28 Modern History Very close Valspar 3002-9C Doe Eyes Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar	35	One small textile
Deep Umber `#665233`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Very close Behr 700D-7 South Kingston Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	Wood and frames

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 light 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#CAC1B2

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

South-facing room#EAD6B4

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)#C3A983

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 Warm Yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Yellow

Light Grey

Muted Linen

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Portrait of Augustine Taylor

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

North West Facing Living Room Colors for Cool Mornings and Warm Evenings West-facing · Living room

Modern Grey House Exterior Color Schemes: Four Palettes House exterior · Grey

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Naval Officer John Wollaston, 1749–58

FAQ

What colors are in Portrait of Augustine Taylor?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Grey (#AAA8A6, 34.4% of the canvas), Muted Linen (#7D776A, 27.6% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#E4D1B1, 12% of the canvas), Shadow Grey (#383C3C, 10.7% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B99B79, 10.7% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#665233, 4.6% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 65% of the light that hits it (LRV 65), 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.