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

The Essex Canal Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Albert Pinkham Ryder's oil painting The Essex Canal, c. 1896, held by The Art Institute of Chicago. Its soft sage greens, pale butter yellows, and deep olive tones suit rooms that want a calm, earthy feel.

Quick answer

Use the soft sage as the main wall color, and the pale butter on a second wall or ceiling. Reserve the warm olive for an accent wall or cabinetry, the khaki for textiles like curtains and cushions, and the deep bronze for small, dark details.

Artist: Albert Pinkham Ryder
Date: c. 1896
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 67

The Essex Canal by Albert Pinkham Ryder — Albert Pinkham Ryder, *The Essex Canal*, c. 1896. 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 sage green

#BEC78A · 34.6% · LRV 54

pale butter yellow

#DED98B · 23.8% · LRV 67

warm olive green

#8A8843 · 14.6% · LRV 23

faded khaki yellow

#AEA95A · 14.1% · LRV 38

dark olive bronze

#615E31 · 6.9% · LRV 11

muted leaf green

#8BA46F · 6% · LRV 33

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.

The Essex Canal reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where soft sage green is strongest — soft sage green

Detail of the painting where pale butter yellow is strongest — pale butter yellow

Detail of the painting where warm olive green is strongest — warm olive green

Detail of the painting where faded khaki yellow is strongest — faded khaki yellow

Detail of the painting where dark olive bronze is strongest — dark olive bronze

Detail of the painting where muted leaf green is strongest — muted leaf green

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 sage green `#BEC78A`	Valspar 6003-6A Everglade Glen Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6716 Dancing Green Very close Behr M330-4 Morning Tea Very close Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Similar	54	Bed, sofa, curtains
pale butter yellow `#DED98B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6709 Gleeful Very close Behr 390D-4 Honey Beige Very close Valspar 6008-9B Lime Mousse Close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Similar	67	Main walls
warm olive green `#8A8843`	Behr S330-6 Dash Of Oregano Very close Valspar 6011-9 Shallow Valley Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6418 Rural Green Close	23	One bold piece
faded khaki yellow `#AEA95A`	Valspar 6007-6B Gilded Pesto Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6711 Parakeet Very close Behr MQ4-42 Pistachio Close Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Similar	38	One small textile
dark olive bronze `#615E31`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6426 Basque Green Very close Behr 750D-6 Lemon Pepper Close Valspar 6005-4C Summer's End Close Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	11	Small accents, art, accessories
muted leaf green `#8BA46F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6725 Pickle Very close Behr S380-5 Milkweed Pod Very close Valspar 6001-6B Cool Green Close Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Close	33	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 butter 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#C7C799

In north light the soft sage can look cooler and greyer than its sample. The pale butter helps warm the room, so it works well where the light is indirect.

South-facing room#E5DC96

Strong south light brings out the yellow in both the pale butter and the khaki. The sage stays fresh and clear, though it can look brighter than expected.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C0AD6D

Under warm evening bulbs the greens shift toward olive and the yellows deepen. Test a large sample on the wall at night before you commit.

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 faded khaki yellow in every combination.

Mood board

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

pale butter yellow

soft sage green

warm olive green

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

Pastel Paint Colors for Rooms Pastel

Green Bathroom Paint Colors Taken from Paintings Green · Bathroom

Bedroom Yellow Color: Shades Measured From Paintings Yellow · Bedroom

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Woman Anna Claypoole Peale, 1818

Self-Portrait George Peter Alexander Healy, 1873

For Sunday's Dinner William Michael Harnett, 1888

FAQ

Can I use these colors on every wall in one room?

It is better to use one or two of these colors as the main shades and save the rest for accents. Using the full palette on every wall can make a room feel busy.

Which color works best in a small room?

The pale butter yellow, with an LRV of 67, bounces the most light and suits small rooms. Keep the deeper olive and bronze for trim, furniture, or a single accent.

Do these colors work with white trim?

Yes. A white or warm off-white trim sits well against the sage and butter yellow and keeps the room from feeling heavy. Pair the deeper olive with a lighter trim so it does not look muddy.

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.