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

Self-Portrait Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Walter Shirlaw's 1878 oil painting Self-Portrait at The Art Institute of Chicago. It is built from deep, warm browns with a red-orange undertone and one soft peach-tan highlight, and it suits a snug study, library, or bedroom.

Quick answer

Use the light tan (#E3BB96) on the walls and the mid-tone (#BD8D6C) as the main upholstery or large rug color. Keep the near-black browns for an accent wall, curtains, and small pieces, and let the deep wood tone (#92644A) show up in furniture.

Artist: Walter Shirlaw
Date: 1878
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 54

Self-Portrait by Walter Shirlaw — Walter Shirlaw, *Self-Portrait*, 1878. 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.

Dark Roasted Umber

#36261F · 49.1% · LRV 2

Burnt Cocoa Brown

#4D2E25 · 36.6% · LRV 4

Red Clay Brown

#603328 · 9.1% · LRV 5

Walnut Wood Brown

#92644A · 2.6% · LRV 16

Warm Toffee Tan

#BD8D6C · 1.6% · LRV 31

Soft Peach Sand

#E3BB96 · 1% · LRV 54

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.

Self-Portrait reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Dark Roasted Umber is strongest — Dark Roasted Umber

Detail of the painting where Burnt Cocoa Brown is strongest — Burnt Cocoa Brown

Detail of the painting where Red Clay Brown is strongest — Red Clay Brown

Detail of the painting where Walnut Wood Brown is strongest — Walnut Wood Brown

Detail of the painting where Warm Toffee Tan is strongest — Warm Toffee Tan

Detail of the painting where Soft Peach Sand is strongest — Soft Peach 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
Dark Roasted Umber `#36261F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Close Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar Valspar 1011-8 Antique Burgundy Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Burnt Cocoa Brown `#4D2E25`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9182 Rojo Marrón Very close Behr S-G-770 Wild Horse Close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar Farrow & Ball No. 222 Brinjal Similar	4	One bold piece
Red Clay Brown `#603328`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6055 Fiery Brown Close Behr N160-7 Brown Velvet Close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	5	One small textile
Walnut Wood Brown `#92644A`	Valspar 3011-7 Sienna Red Very close Behr S210-6 Cinnamon Crunch Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7705 Wheat Penny Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	16	Wood and frames
Warm Toffee Tan `#BD8D6C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7718 Oak Creek Near-identical Valspar 2006-5B Greek Amber Very close Behr S230-5 Sugar Maple Very close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	31	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft Peach Sand `#E3BB96`	Behr S250-3 Honey Nougat Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6359 Sociable Very close Valspar 3002-8A Sun Tan Very close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Similar	54	Main walls

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 peach sand 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#C9B3A0

Soft Peach Sand (LRV 54) is light but not bright, and north light will cool it a little, so it reads as a calm, muted tan. It still bounces a fair amount of light, which helps a room that gets little sun.

South-facing room#E9C49F

In strong south light, Soft Peach Sand warms up and shows its peach side more clearly. The glare softens on a mid-light wall like this, so the room feels glowing rather than washed out.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C29C73

Under warm evening bulbs the red-orange undertone deepens, and the wall takes on a cozy, golden-tan look. If you want less orange, choose bulbs on the neutral side of warm.

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 Wood Brown and the rug border takes Red Clay Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft Peach Sand

Warm Toffee Tan

Burnt Cocoa Brown

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

Black Color for a Bedroom: Three Shades and What to Pair With Them Black · Bedroom

Small Bathroom Paint Colors That Make Walls Recede Small room · Bathroom

Paint Colors for Small Rooms: Light Walls, Deep Accents Small room

More palettes like this

Winged Figure Abbott Handerson Thayer, 1889

Early Morning, Tarpon Springs George Inness, 1892

Phebe Russell Swain Welch Sheldon Peck, c. 1837

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the darkest colors from this palette?

You can, but #36261F has an LRV of 2 and #4D2E25 has an LRV of 4, so they absorb nearly all the light. They work best in a small room with good lamps, or on one accent wall balanced by the lighter tan.

Which color should I use on the walls?

The light tan, #E3BB96, is the best wall color here, with an LRV of 54. It keeps the room from feeling heavy while staying in the same warm family as the darker browns.

How do I use the dark browns without making the room feel closed in?

Limit them to curtains, a single accent wall, or a few furniture pieces, and keep the ceiling and most of the walls light. Add the mid-tone #BD8D6C and the wood tone #92644A so the dark shades have something to sit against.

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.