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

Whalers Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from Turner's Whalers, an oil on canvas from about 1845 in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from pale warm stone to deep olive, with a steady yellow-brown undertone throughout.

Quick answer

Use the pale warm stone (#CFC5A1) on the main walls and the soft cream (#EFE2BD) on trim or ceilings. Add the tan clay (#AA9968) as one accent wall, and use the deep olive (#585031) sparingly on a door or small built-in.

Artist: Joseph Mallord William Turner
Date: ca. 1845
Movement: 19th-century British painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Whalers by Joseph Mallord William Turner — Joseph Mallord William Turner, *Whalers*, ca. 1845. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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 warm stone

#CFC5A1 · 52.5% · LRV 56

Soft cream linen

#EFE2BD · 19.9% · LRV 76

Warm tan clay

#AA9968 · 11% · LRV 32

Deep olive umber

#585031 · 7.8% · LRV 8

Muted brass olive

#897843 · 4.5% · LRV 19

Honey wheat

#CCB97F · 4.3% · LRV 49

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.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Soft cream linen is strongest — Soft cream linen

Detail of the painting where Warm tan clay is strongest — Warm tan clay

Detail of the painting where Deep olive umber is strongest — Deep olive umber

Detail of the painting where Muted brass olive is strongest — Muted brass olive

Detail of the painting where Honey wheat is strongest — Honey wheat

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 warm stone `#CFC5A1`	Behr BXC-80 Wildwood Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7732 Lemongrass Very close Valspar 6006-5B Parlour Sage Very close Farrow & Ball No. 16 Cord Close	56	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft cream linen `#EFE2BD`	Valspar 3005-8C Pale Maize Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6693 Lily Very close Farrow & Ball No. 71 Pale Hound Very close Behr 330E-2 Cornerstone Very close	76	Main walls
Warm tan clay `#AA9968`	Behr PPU8-05 Eco Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6409 Edgy Gold Close Valspar 3007-7B Bedouin Trail Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	32	One bold piece
Deep olive umber `#585031`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Close Behr 700D-7 South Kingston Close Valspar 6010-4 Amazon Silt Similar Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	8	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted brass olive `#897843`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6411 Bengal Grass Very close Behr PPU6-20 Eden Prairie Close Valspar 6006-6C Olivita Close	19	Wood and frames
Honey wheat `#CCB97F`	Behr S310-4 Perennial Gold Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9029 Cool Avocado Very close Farrow & Ball No. 251 Churlish Green Close Valspar 3008-8A Dry Leaf Close	49	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 cream linen 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#D2CCB9

North light is cool and soft, so the warm yellow undertone of the pale warm stone can look greyer and flatter. Test a large swatch on the wall before committing.

South-facing room#F3E3BD

Strong south light brings out the warmth of the pale warm stone and makes the soft cream look creamy and bright. The tan clay will read as a clear, warm accent.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C9B38A

Under warm evening bulbs, the yellow undertones deepen and the room feels cozy. The pale warm stone and honey wheat become more golden, while the deep olive gets darker and richer.

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 Muted brass olive and the rug border takes Honey wheat in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft cream linen

Pale warm stone

Warm tan clay

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

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Paint Colors for South Facing Rooms South-facing

More palettes like this

Beata Beatrix Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1871–72

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

Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs Briton Riviere, 1876

FAQ

Which color should I use for the main walls?

The pale warm stone (#CFC5A1) is the main color, with an LRV of 56. It reads light without being white, so it suits most rooms. Pair it with the soft cream for trim.

Can I use the deep olive in a small room?

Use it in small amounts, such as a door, cabinet or built-in. Its LRV is 8, so covering a full small wall would make the room feel closed in. Keep the walls in the lighter stone or cream.

What wood and textiles work with this palette?

The muted brass olive (#897843) is the wood tone in this scheme, and the honey wheat (#CCB97F) works for upholstery, rugs or curtains. Both sit close to the wall colors and keep the room calm and warm.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.