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

Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from George Romney's 1781 oil portrait, Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott, held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from deep brown to pale butter cream, all with warm yellow or red-orange undertones, and it suits rooms that need warmth, such as a dining room, study or living room with limited daylight.

Quick answer

Use the pale butter cream on the walls and the deep umber for one accent wall or a built-in. Walnut brown fits wood furniture, while the camel tan and light apricot work well for textiles and larger surfaces.

Artist: George Romney
Date: 1781
Movement: 18th-century British painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 79

Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) by George Romney — George Romney, *Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782)*, 1781. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.

Deep umber brown

#54483A · 53.8% · LRV 7

Soft ochre tan

#B9A377 · 10.2% · LRV 38

Walnut brown

#7E5D45 · 9.9% · LRV 13

Warm camel tan

#B08761 · 9.4% · LRV 27

Pale butter cream

#FDE3A7 · 9.2% · LRV 79

Light apricot sand

#E4B280 · 7.5% · LRV 50

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, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep umber brown is strongest — Deep umber brown

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

Detail of the painting where Walnut brown is strongest — Walnut brown

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

Detail of the painting where Pale butter cream is strongest — Pale butter cream

Detail of the painting where Light apricot sand is strongest — Light apricot sand

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
Deep umber brown `#54483A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7055 Enduring Bronze Very close Behr N230-7 Rustic Tobacco Very close Valspar 6010-1 Journey Close Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	7	One bold piece
Soft ochre tan `#B9A377`	Behr HDC-AC-16 Cumin Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9118 Tarnished Treasure Very close Valspar 3005-9C Caraway Seed Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	38	Small accents, art, accessories
Walnut brown `#7E5D45`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7523 Burnished Brandy Near-identical Behr N250-6 Split Rail Very close Valspar 3002-9A Mona's Mane Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	13	Wood and frames
Warm camel tan `#B08761`	Valspar 3002-7B Gleaming Tan Very close Behr MQ2-2 Syrup Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7725 Yearling Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	27	One small textile
Pale butter cream `#FDE3A7`	Valspar 3002-2B Peach Tickle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6896 Solé Very close Behr P260-3 Vanilla Ice Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Close	79	Main walls
Light apricot sand `#E4B280`	Behr QE-20 Terra Sol Very close Valspar 3002-6A Fragrant Coriander Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7677 Gold Vessel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	50	Bed, sofa, curtains

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 butter cream 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#DACDAB

North light is cool and soft, so the pale butter cream will look calmer and a little greyer. Its warm yellow undertone will still show, but less than it does in sun.

South-facing room#FDE4AC

Strong south light brings out the yellow in the pale butter cream and makes it look warmer and brighter. At LRV 79 it still reads light and bounces a good amount of light around the room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D1B37D

Warm evening bulbs push the cream and apricot toward gold. The deep umber and walnut will look richer and darker, so place them where you want a sense of depth.

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 Walnut brown and the rug border takes Warm camel tan in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale butter cream

Light apricot sand

Deep umber brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782)

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

Bedroom Yellow Color: Shades Measured From Paintings Yellow · Bedroom

More palettes like this

The Third Duke of Dorset's Hunter with a Groom and a Dog George Stubbs, 1768

Anne Dashwood (1743–1830), Later Countess of Galloway Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1764

John Julius Angerstein (1736–1823) Sir Thomas Lawrence

FAQ

Can I paint every wall in the deep umber?

At LRV 7 the deep umber reads very dark, so it can make a room feel closed in. Use it on one accent wall, a door or cabinetry, and keep the other walls in the pale butter cream.

Which color works best in a small room?

The pale butter cream, at LRV 79, is the lightest color in the set and bounces the most light. Pair it with the camel tan or light apricot in textiles to keep the room warm without making it dark.

How should I pair the textiles with the wood?

Walnut brown suits wood furniture, and the warm camel tan and light apricot sand work well in upholstery, curtains or rugs. The soft ochre tan can add a quieter middle tone between the darkest and lightest shades.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.