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

Winged Figure Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Winged Figure by Abbott Handerson Thayer, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Light Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Yellow to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Abbott Handerson Thayer
Date: 1889
Movement: 19th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

Winged Figure by Abbott Handerson Thayer — Abbott Handerson Thayer, *Winged Figure*, 1889. 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.

Light Yellow

#C4B291 · 24.6% · LRV 46

Deep Blue

#485D6C · 18.9% · LRV 10

Warm Yellow

#B59563 · 18.2% · LRV 32

Deep Umber

#7C6641 · 16.4% · LRV 14

Soft Umber

#604427 · 14% · LRV 7

Pale Yellow

#F4D3A1 · 8% · LRV 68

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.

Winged Figure reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Light Yellow is strongest — Light Yellow

Detail of the painting where Deep Blue is strongest — Deep Blue

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm Yellow

Detail of the painting where Deep Umber is strongest — Deep Umber

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

Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest — Pale Yellow

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
Light Yellow `#C4B291`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9121 Sawgrass Basket Near-identical Behr MQ2-30 Spring Wheat Near-identical Valspar 3006-10A Prairie Dance Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Close	46	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Blue `#485D6C`	Valspar 4010-5 Hampton Surf Very close Behr N490-6 Calligraphy Very close Farrow & Ball No. 281 Stiffkey Blue Close Sherwin-Williams SW 48 Bunglehouse Blue Close	10	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#B59563`	Behr 270F-5 Wilmington Tan Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7699 Rustic City Very close Valspar 3007-7A Lioness Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	32	One bold piece
Deep Umber `#7C6641`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6139 Mossy Gold Very close Behr 280F-6 Sweet Georgia Brown Very close Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	14	Wood and frames
Soft Umber `#604427`	Behr 290F-7 Wooden Cabin Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	7	One small textile
Pale Yellow `#F4D3A1`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2857 Peace Yellow Very close Behr QE-26 Fireflies Very close Valspar 3004-6B Warm Sunshine Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Very close	68	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 pale 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#D5C3A7

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#F6D7A8

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CCAA7A

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 Deep Umber and the rug border takes Soft Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Light Yellow

Warm Yellow

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

North Facing Dining Room Colors That Warm Up Cool Light North-facing · Dining room

More palettes like this

View of Cotopaxi Frederic Edwin Church, 1857

On the Seine Homer Dodge Martin, c. 1895

Self-Portrait George Peter Alexander Healy, 1873

FAQ

What colors are in Winged Figure?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Yellow (#C4B291, 24.6% of the canvas), Deep Blue (#485D6C, 18.9% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B59563, 18.2% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#7C6641, 16.4% of the canvas), Soft Umber (#604427, 14% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#F4D3A1, 8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 68% of the light that hits it (LRV 68), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.