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

Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) Color Palette & Paint Colors

Soft taupes and warm khaki with a pale beige and two muted rose-pinks. The palette suits a quiet living room or bedroom with a gentle, traditional feel.

Quick answer

Paint the walls #CDBCA7, use #A09278 on the main furniture and #84775E as an accent. Bring in the pinks for pillows or art.

Artist: John Singer Sargent
Date: 1897
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 52

Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) by John Singer Sargent — John Singer Sargent, *Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth)*, 1897. 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.

Pale stone beige

#A09278 · 26.7% · LRV 29

Soft khaki

#CDBCA7 · 23.7% · LRV 52

Olive taupe

#84775E · 21.8% · LRV 19

Cocoa brown

#7F6751 · 21.2% · LRV 15

Dusty terracotta

#B87B67 · 3.3% · LRV 25

Rose blush

#DB9A85 · 3.3% · LRV 40

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. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Pale stone beige is strongest — Pale stone beige

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

Detail of the painting where Olive taupe is strongest — Olive taupe

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

Detail of the painting where Dusty terracotta is strongest — Dusty terracotta

Detail of the painting where Rose blush is strongest — Rose blush

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
Pale stone beige `#A09278`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9123 Barro Verde Very close Valspar 6008-2B Sandalwood Close Behr PPU8-06 Exploring Khaki Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	29	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft khaki `#CDBCA7`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9110 Malabar Near-identical Behr N240-3 Sonoran Desert Near-identical Valspar 3003-10B Hopsack Very close Farrow & Ball No. 264 Oxford Stone Very close	52	Main walls
Olive taupe `#84775E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7740 Messenger Bag Very close Behr PPU8-24 Deserted Island Close Valspar 6008-4C Valencia Moss Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	19	One bold piece
Cocoa brown `#7F6751`	Valspar 3004-9A Muddy Mississippi Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6103 Tea Chest Very close Behr 250F-6 Pepper Spice Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	15	Wood and frames
Dusty terracotta `#B87B67`	Behr MQ1-26 Pinata Very close Valspar 2003-5B Florentine Clay Close Sherwin-Williams SW 2854 Caribbean Coral Close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Close	25	Small accents, art, accessories
Rose blush `#DB9A85`	Valspar 2003-6A Coral Ridge Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6619 Sockeye Very close Behr MQ1-27 Dazzle And Delight Close Farrow & Ball No. 64 Red Earth Similar	40	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 soft khaki 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#BCB4AB

North light makes the beige #CDBCA7 (LRV 52) look cooler and grayer, so choose a sample with a little extra warmth.

South-facing room#D8C5AC

South light warms the whole palette and makes the rose #DB9A85 look softer and lighter.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#B59D7D

Warm evening bulbs deepen the taupes and make the pinks glow gently.

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 Cocoa brown and the rug border takes Rose blush in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft khaki

Pale stone beige

Olive taupe

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth)

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 Facing Hallway Colors for Cool, Dim Light North-facing · Hallway

More palettes like this

After the Bullfight Mary Cassatt, 1873

Slender Woman with Vase Jozseph Rippl-Rónaï, 1894

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

FAQ

Is this palette warm or neutral?

All six colors have a warm yellow or red-orange undertone, so the palette reads as a warm neutral with pink accents.

Where should I use the pinks?

They cover just 3.3% each, so use them in small things such as cushions, a throw or a vase.

What should I paint the ceiling?

The palette has no white, so pick a plain light shade that is lighter than the wall #CDBCA7 and test it next to it.

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.