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

Maria Sheldon Scammon Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Maria Sheldon Scammon by Anders Zorn, 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 Linen on most walls, use Light Linen for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Linen to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Soft Black works best in a single textile.

Artist: Anders Zorn
Date: 1895
Movement: 19th-century Scandinavian painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 72

Maria Sheldon Scammon by Anders Zorn — Anders Zorn, *Maria Sheldon Scammon*, 1895. 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.

Soft Black

#1D1D1E · 40.7% · LRV 1

Light Linen

#CDC3B6 · 24.7% · LRV 55

Ink Grey

#333232 · 19.9% · LRV 3

Pale Linen

#EADBC7 · 7.8% · LRV 72

Deep Umber

#7C5A40 · 3.5% · LRV 12

Warm Linen

#A78D7A · 3.5% · LRV 29

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.

Maria Sheldon Scammon reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

Detail of the painting where Ink Grey is strongest — Ink Grey

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

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

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

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
Soft Black `#1D1D1E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 770F-7 Beluga Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	1	One small textile
Light Linen `#CDC3B6`	Behr PPU5-08 Sculptor Clay Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7043 Worldly Gray Very close Valspar 6006-1B Oatbran Very close Farrow & Ball No. 229 Elephant's Breath Very close	55	Bed, sofa, curtains
Ink Grey `#333232`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6991 Black Magic Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Very close Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Close Valspar 4011-2 Dark Kettle Black Close	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Linen `#EADBC7`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6112 Biscuit Near-identical Behr N280-2 Writers Parchment Very close Valspar 3002-10C Savoury Beige Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2013 Matchstick Very close	72	Main walls
Deep Umber `#7C5A40`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7523 Burnished Brandy Near-identical Behr S220-7 Molasses Very close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	12	Wood and frames
Warm Linen `#A78D7A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9082 Chocolate Powder Near-identical Valspar 2005-9C Delta Sandbar Very close Behr PPU4-04 Soft Chamois Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	29	One bold piece

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 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#CEC9BF

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

South-facing room#EFDDC5

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)#C6AF90

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 Black in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Linen

Light Linen

Warm Linen

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

The North Cape by Moonlight Peder Balke, 1848

Mother and Child by the Sea Johan Christian Dahl, 1830

Study of Water and Plants Thomas Fearnley, 1837

FAQ

What colors are in Maria Sheldon Scammon?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Soft Black (#1D1D1E, 40.7% of the canvas), Light Linen (#CDC3B6, 24.7% of the canvas), Ink Grey (#333232, 19.9% of the canvas), Pale Linen (#EADBC7, 7.8% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#7C5A40, 3.5% of the canvas), Warm Linen (#A78D7A, 3.5% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 72% of the light that hits it (LRV 72), 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.