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

The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge) Color Palette & Paint Colors

A very dark palette of near-black browns, balanced by a clay red and a muted rose-tan. It suits a dramatic study, library or dining room.

Quick answer

Use the pale lightened wall color #F4D0BE on the walls, the clay #B36756 on the main furniture and the dark #42392D on wood. Keep #231E1C for small, deep details.

Artist: John Philip Simpson
Date: 1827
Movement: 19th-century British painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge) by John Philip Simpson — John Philip Simpson, *The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)*, 1827. 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 umber

#42392D · 41.2% · LRV 4

Soot black

#231E1C · 20.8% · LRV 1

Terracotta clay

#B36756 · 18.9% · LRV 20

Brick brown

#824D40 · 7.3% · LRV 10

Dusty rose tan

#AB8A79 · 6.8% · LRV 28

Oxblood brown

#5E372F · 5% · LRV 5

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 Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Dark umber is strongest — Dark umber

Detail of the painting where Soot black is strongest — Soot black

Detail of the painting where Terracotta clay is strongest — Terracotta clay

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

Detail of the painting where Dusty rose tan is strongest — Dusty rose tan

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

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 umber `#42392D`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 6010-2 Deep Earth Similar	4	Wood and frames
Soot black `#231E1C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Terracotta clay `#B36756`	Behr QE-04 Chimayo Red Very close Valspar 2009-5 Fall Leaf Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6326 Henna Shade Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	20	Bed, sofa, curtains
Brick brown `#824D40`	Valspar 2003-7A Chocolate Cherry Very close Behr QE-14 Spiced Red Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7591 Red Barn Close Farrow & Ball No. 43 Eating Room Red Similar	10	One bold piece
Dusty rose tan `#AB8A79`	Behr PPU3-14 Tribal Pottery Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9081 Redend Point Very close Valspar 2003-9C Navajo Horizon Close Farrow & Ball No. 295 Sulking Room Pink Similar	28	Main walls
Oxblood brown `#5E372F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6055 Fiery Brown Near-identical Behr N160-7 Brown Velvet Very close Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Close Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	5	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.

This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#F4D0BE).

How the lightest tone 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#D5C1BA

North light makes the darks look even deeper, and the clay #B36756 (LRV 20) turns a little muted.

South-facing room#F6D5BE

South light shows the red-orange warmth in #B36756 and #824D40, and it lifts the pale wall color #F4D0BE.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CCA88A

Warm bulbs make the dark browns glow, so the room feels intimate rather than heavy.

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 Dark umber and the rug border takes Oxblood brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Dusty rose tan

Terracotta clay

Brick brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)

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

Red House Color Schemes for Exterior Paint House exterior · Red

Zen Room Colors: A Japandi Palette from Paintings Japandi style

Red Room Color Schemes, Paired by Painters Red

More palettes like this

Lucia Frederic, Lord Leighton, possibly late 1870s

The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne Alfred Sisley, 1872

Landscape (The Lock) John Constable, c. 1820–25

FAQ

Why is the wall color not from the painting?

The painting has no light tone, so the site lightened its palest color to #F4D0BE. Treat it as a suggested wall shade, not a measured one.

Can I paint walls in #42392D?

It covers 41% of the painting and has an LRV of 4, so it works in a room you want to feel deep and enclosed, with good lamps.

How do I stop the room feeling too dark?

Keep the walls light, use the dark browns on wood and furniture, and bring in the clay #B36756 for warmth.

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.